Chris Mbaisi, the The Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) chairman was elected as a Vice-President of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS), Africa today.
It was a good day for Mbaisi who garnered 19 votes to beat five contestants to become one of the four continental vice-presidents during the AIPS Africa Congress in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.
He beat incumbents Amadou Dioulde Diallo from Guinea and Kabulo Nuanna Kabulo of Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia’s Yonas Teshome Getaneh in the opening round.
But Mbaisi together with Sudanese counterpart Mufti Mohammed Saeed gained 15 votes and were the outright winners to avoid second round.
Mbaisi who is a Sports Editor at The Star newspaper is a seasoned sports journalist who has traversed the world in covering major events having previously established his name at The Standard.
He was elected the first chairman of SJAK when the body was formed five years ago and has led the local organisation of sports scribes to establish itself as a voice in the Kenyan sporting scene, especially through various awards schemes it has launched with partners.
During the second ballot for the AIPS Vice-president, Diallo was re-elected with 18 alongside Getaneh (13) who was elevated to a Vice-president after serving AIPS Africa as a Member. Kabulo (12) was deposed.
William Dodzi Ezah is the new Secretary General after flooring the incumbent, Gustave Samnick (Cameroon) 13-9 in a tight vote.
Angola’s Anthonio Goncalves Ferreira (Angola) and Mohammed Slimane Ganoua (Niger) were elected unopposed as the two Deputy secretary generals.
Felix Sohounde Peperipe from Benin dropped his bid for the vice chairman’s post by withdrawing to be re-elected unopposed as the Treasurer.
Senegal’s Abdoulaye Thiam got a soft landing after losing in the race for the Vice president to be elected as an Executive Member alongside Oumar Babba Traore of Mali.
The AIPS Africa President Nigeria’s Mitchell Obi and first Vice-president; Mourad Moutaoukil from Morocco were elected unopposed.
This was the first ever elective Congress to be held on African soil since the inception of AIPS Africa.
The Congress unanimously agreed to amend its constitution for an expanded Executive Committee in a bid to make it all inclusive by ensuring that all the regions and gender are well represented.
The amendments provide for four Vice presidents drawn from the North, South, West as well as the East and Central regions that were merged into a single bloc.
In the other change, the delegates passed for two Deputy secretary generals posts where one will be in charge of Administration and Membership, and the other in charge of Training, Communication and Marketing.