SEOUL: The 24th Congress of AIPS Asia, held at the Sofitel Hotel in Seoul, Korea, witnessed a colorful ceremony to honor individuals who have dedicated a significant part of their lives to AIPS Asia. The Legends of AIPS ASIA Awards were presented to three esteemed personalities: Gap Chul Park, former president of AIPS ASIA from Korea; Manouchehr Zandi from Iran; and Youssef Berjawi from Lebanon.
During the ceremony, Mr. Park expressed his happiness at having led the continental body for an extended period and expressed pride in seeing Hee Don Jung, a fellow Korean, now leading AIPS ASIA. Mr. Jung is undeniably a legend of Asia.
The award held monumental importance for Manouchehr Zandi, who expressed his gratitude to the Iran Sports Journalists Association for providing him with the opportunity to serve AIPS and AIPS Asia.
Apart from recognizing individual contributions, AIPS ASIA also acknowledged outstanding performances by member countries. The Best Association Award of 2022 was jointly won by the Bangladesh Sports Press Association and the Nepal Sports Journalists Forum.
The Saudi Arabian Sports Media Federation received the Best Supporter Award for its exceptional services to AIPS ASIA. The Qatar Sports Press Committee was honored with the Best Event Organizer Award for its excellent arrangements during the FIFA World Cup 2022.
The host of the event, Korea Sports Press Union, was awarded the Best Congress Organizer Award for organizing the most exceptional Congress in 2023. Additionally, AIPS ASIA President Hee Don Jung received the Pride of Performance Award for his outstanding service to the continental body in a short period of time.
AIPS President Gianni Merlo extends congratulations to awardees
During the ceremony, AIPS President Gianni Merlo extended his congratulations to the awardees and praised the remarkable performance of AIPS ASIA. Hee Don Jung, President of AIPS ASIA, emphasized the importance of recognizing the services of esteemed individuals who have dedicated themselves to sports journalism for a considerable period. He highlighted the need to pay tribute to these individuals for their invaluable contributions.
AIPS ASIA Secretary Amjad Aziz Malik credited President Hee Don Jung for the idea of honoring legends, as he believed it was crucial to recognize the past leaders for their contributions to the continental body. Malik also expressed gratitude to AIPS President Gianni Merlo for his significant role in the achievements of AIPS.
Hyun Jae Cho, CEO of Korean Sports Foundation, welcomed the guests and delivered a speech. Several Korean achievers were also honored with shields, including Jaehwan Yoon, Kwansik Moon, Wonhong Joo, Junseob, Moyonghi Chang, Jongha Choi, and Chunsuk Yoon.
