BARCELONA: Oman represented by delegates from Oman Journalists Association (OJA) took part in the 86th edition of the AIPS Congress which is underway in Santa Susanna, Spain. The delegation was headed by Salim Hamed al Jahwari, Vice-Chairman of OJA and Chairman of the Sports Press Committee. The delegation included also Ahmed bin Saif al Kaabi, a member of the Sports Press Committee and a member of the Executive Bureau of the Asian Sports Press Association, and Adil bin Ibrahim al Balushi, a member of the Sports Press Committee.
The opening ceremony of the congress was held on Sunday and it featured an opening speech by Joan Campolier, Mayor of Santa Susana, located within the Barcelona city. The mayor welcomed all participating journalists from five continents and across the world. "We are pleased to welcome you all to this sports city which is hosting a major international sports event with the attendance of a large number of sports journalists from various parts of the world. We are very happy to welcome you here. Santa Susana annually hosts many different international sports events and activities in all team and individual sports. This city is known as the bodybuilding capital as it hosts major international championships in this sport."
The mayor of Santa Susana concluded his welcoming speech by inviting journalists to enjoy the details of this wonderful city and to attend again during the upcoming sports events and their coverage, as this city is scheduled to host several prominent events including triathlon, cycling, formula one, tennis, golf, and other championships.
After that, Patrick Torrent, the executive director of sports tourism events in Catalonia, gave a visual presentation that included some details about the capabilities, infrastructure, facilities, and sports facilities of the city of Barcelona to host various sports events.
AIPS Congress
The AIPS congress agenda commenced on Monday under the chairmanship of Gianni Merlo, President of the International Sports Press Association, in the presence of presidents and representatives of member sports federations from various countries around the world. The congress discussed several diverse topics, including the participation of journalists and media representatives in 2024 summer Olympic Games in Paris and discussions about the new system for European championships in the coming years. Besides that, a panel discussion titled 'Defending Gender Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in Sports Media Coverage' took place and Luni Ezder, President of the International Federation of University Sports (FISU), presented a brief show on the upcoming events of the FISU. Another session was organized on 'Artificial Intelligence and its Positive and Negative Effects on Sports Journalism Sector'. At the end of the opening congress day, various short films for a duration of 100 seconds describing each country’s participation in all the editions of the Olympic Games by young reporters.
The first morning session began with a workshop on the participation of journalists in the 2024 summer Olympic Games in Paris. The presentation covered a detailed explanation of the requirements for registering journalists and the registration process on the Paris Olympics platform, as well as clarifying the logistics between competition venues and working hours at the main and subsidiary media centres in different cities of France.
Following that, presentation on the new system for European championships in the coming years was delivered. It highlighted the new technical regulations for these competitions and informing journalists of the changes related to the promotion and qualification system in the competitions.
Later on, a panel discussion titled 'Defending Gender Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in Sports Media Coverage' took place in presence of women sports journalists. They discussed their experiences in highlighting investigations and sports coverage of women's athletic achievements, emphasising that female athletes are now receiving their full rights, with equal participation in various major sports events.
FISU President, Leonz Eder, delivered a presentation on FISU’s projects and achievements over the last 75 years, along with their ambitious plans for the future. President Leonz Eder expressed his gratitude to the numerous journalists present for their dedication and perseverance, reminiscing about his own time as a journalist.
In the session on AI, the consensus was that artificial intelligence is a good and supportive tool for journalists and an excellent addition that can be used to enhance credibility and will be deeply rooted in the future of sports journalism.
This was followed by short films lasting for 100 seconds about each country's history in the Olympic Games for the previous editions. This project will be launched by AIPS in a special platform by July 2.
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