By Kevin Rademeyer, Sports Journalist.
Photo Credit: AIPS.
African Collaborations Group (ACG) has appointed Gianni Merlo, President of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS), to its Advisory Board as the organisation advances plans to develop large scale sport and entertainment districts across Africa.
Merlo brings extensive experience and international influence in sports journalism, having led AIPS since 2005. He was re-elected for a sixth and final term in April 2026, securing 76.85% of the vote at the organisation’s congress in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Founded in Paris in 1924, AIPS is the global federation representing more than 9,000 accredited sports journalists through over 160 national associations. It plays a central role in professional standards, media accreditation and advocacy within international sport.
A senior journalist at Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport, Merlo has covered 14 Winter Olympic Games, 13 Summer Olympic Games and more than 35 World and European Championships across athletics, skiing and other sporting disciplines.
He also serves on the International Olympic Committee’s Press Commission, contributing to discussions on Olympic media policy, accreditation and international press coverage.
His appointment is expected to strengthen ACG’s engagement with the global sports media industry as it develops projects intended to position Africa as a major destination for sport and entertainment.
ACG believes that successful sport and entertainment districts must extend beyond physical infrastructure and commercial development. They must also create experiences capable of attracting international events, audiences and media attention. Merlo’s knowledge of global sports journalism and relationships with national press associations and international sporting bodies are expected to contribute to that ambition.
“Gianni Merlo is one of the most respected figures in international sports journalism, and his leadership of AIPS has shaped how the world’s sports media has covered the last two decades of major international events,” said Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard, ACG Founder and Executive Chairman.
“His presence on our Advisory Board brings to ACG a global media credibility and journalistic network that is genuinely irreplaceable. Sport and entertainment districts do not exist only in stone and steel; they exist in the accounts written and images captured by sports journalists across the world.”
ACG’s Advisory Board provides strategic guidance as the organisation works to bring together governments, development finance institutions, investors, sports organisations and infrastructure partners to develop financially sustainable, mixed use districts.
The organisation is focused on addressing what it sees as a significant gap in Africa’s sports economy. While the continent’s sport economy is projected to reach $20 billion by 2035, it continues to lack the integrated infrastructure and commercial ecosystems needed to support development on a larger scale.
Rather than concentrating on individual stadiums or venues, ACG’s model centres on creating connected districts that combine sport, entertainment and commercial activity, with the potential to generate sustainable revenue.
Its approach involves coordinating public and private sector stakeholders, including investors, developers, regulators, sporting federations, event promoters, broadcasters and host communities. The aim is to move projects from initial concepts through feasibility and financing to eventual delivery.
Merlo’s appointment adds an international media perspective to that process, reinforcing the importance of global visibility, professional standards and the storytelling that helps shape the reputation of major sporting destinations.
As Africa seeks to expand its presence in the international sports and entertainment landscape, ACG is positioning collaboration and long term investment as central to building the infrastructure required to support that ambition.