The President, Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Honour Sirawoo says the rights granted Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital by the global sports journalists umbrella body, the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) to host it’s meeting in October 2020, represents a threshold in the history of SWAN, the State and Nigeria.
At its 83rd Congress in Budapest, Hungary, AIPS approved Port Harcourt to host its next Executive Committee meeting that brings together the Exco members from countries across the world.
The AIPS-Africa Congress consisting of National Sports Journalists Association across the African Continent will also hold in Port Harcourt at the same time.
The AIPS Global Executive Committee meeting is expected to deliberate on ways of strengthening the over 200 membership Association which includes Nigeria; and alongside the AIPS Media Awards Jury to decide on the status of entries for the 2021 AIPS Sport Media Awards.
Sirawoo, who has consistently insisted that AIPS should consider Africa, particularly Nigeria for some of its programmes, commended the world President, Gianni Merlo and African President, Mitchell Obi for the choice of Port Harcourt.
He disclosed that the Exco meeting and African Congress will enable the beaming of the entire sporting world searchlight on Nigeria and Port Harcourt in particular.
“This is another historic occasion for not just Rivers State but Nigeria and indeed the entire African continent, the SWAN President said.
The Nigeria’s number one sports writer praised the African Power Of Sports (POS) and Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, whose investments in Sports and Sports Journalism have attracted world attention to Nigeria and Rivers State in particular.
“It is also a recognition of Governor Nyesom Wike’s genuine efforts to promote sports and sports journalism in and outside Nigeria,” he summed up.
Port Harcourt will be the second city in Africa to host the Executive Committee meeting of AIPS after Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2014 , just as it will put Rivers as the first State in Nigeria to host a continental Congress since the African body changed from ASJU to AIPS-Africa.