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FISU at the AIPS Congress

FISU 23 March 2011

FISU at the 74th AIPS Congress 2011 in Seoul

The 74th AIPS Congress officially opened on Tuesday night with spectacular contemporary and traditional Korean musical shows at the Coex Convention Centre in Seoul. The soothing orchestra tones, outstanding improvised percussions and the Koran folk music performances combined well with the technological theme of the congress dubbed “Smart Korea, Sports Korea”.

South Korean Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choung Byoung-gug was very proud hosting events like the AIPS Congress in Korea for the second time. “This is a clear sign of my country’s maturity in organizing sporting events, and I hope we can be able to achieve even more by hosting the 2018 Winter Olympic Games,” he added. In his opening speech, AIPS President Gianni Merlo expressed his deep sympathy with the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. AIPS initiated a donation to the Japanese Sports Journalists Association. He welcomed the 263 delegates from 126 nations and the guests from many international sports organisations like IOC, FIG, IJF and FISU to the 74th AIPS Congress in Seoul.

Ohsang Kwon, the President of the KSPU and President of the Organiszhing Committee of the AIPS Congress Seoul 2011, officially declared the Congress open.

The FISU EC delegates Verena Burk and Leonz Eder used that evening for interesting discussions with representatives from different sport organisations and media, such as the President of the Korean Olympic Committee Yong Sung Park, AIPS Vice Presidents Manouchehr Zandi (Iran) and Esat Yilmaer (Turkey) and Risto Nieminen, former FISU EC member and President and CEO of the World Lottery Association.

 

Verena Burk and Leonz Eder

Opening address from AIPS President Gianni Merlo

From left to right: FISU CIP Chairman Leonz Eder, AIPS Vice President Manouchehr Zandi (Iran), CIP Vice Chairwoman Verena Burk and the President of the Korean Olympic Committee, Yong Sung PARK