Sambit Mohapatra
BHUBANESWAR — The Odisha Sports Journalists’ Association (OSJA), with support from the Sports and Youth Services Department of Government of Odisha, celebrated the World Sports Journalists Day and the 100th anniversary of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) at the Tennis Auditorium of Kalinga Stadium Tennis Centre here.
Weightlifting Olympian and Commonwealth Games gold medallist, K. Ravi Kumar, graced the occasion as the chief guest. He shared his inspiring journey and emphasised on the role of sports journalists in shaping and promoting the career of athletes. Athletics Olympian Srabani Nanda described her experiences on the pivotal role of the media in her athletic journey.
Joining the event as the guest of honour, State Sports Department Secretary, R. Vineel Krishna, highlighted the importance of the collaborative efforts between the government and media in fostering a robust sports culture in Odisha.
He elaborated that Odisha Chief Minister as well as the Sports Minister have emphasised on significant investment in block-level on robust infrastructure and training, which will lead to a major boost in sports at the grass-root level.
The event featured a keynote address by the chief speaker, Sundeep Misra, an eminent sports journalist, who shared insights on the evolution of sports journalism over the past centuries and its future trajectory.
Senior Sports Journalist, N. Jagannath Das, shared his delight that today’s young sportspersons have accessibility to the best of training and infrastructure in Odisha.
OSJA President Sandeep Mishra, along with Working President Sambit Mohapatra and Secretary Suresh Kumar Swain reinforced the commitment of the Association to support and empower sports journalists in the State.
An OSJA souvenir was released on the occasion. As a part of the event, sports journalists were taken on a special tour by the Sports Department, to the Sports Science Centre.
