Members and guests at the OSJA Foundation Day programme in Bhubaneswar on March 21, 2017.

Odisha Sports Journalists Association (OSJA) celebrated its foundation day with a seminar on the `Present Status and Future Prospects of Sports Journalism in the State’ at a city hotel here today. Senior journalist Sandeep Sahu, former sports administrator Ashok Mohanty and chess International Master Swayangsu Satyapragyan graced the programme as guests.

While appreciating the growth of sports journalism in the state, Sahu, who is a keen follower of sports, exhorted the sports scribes to write analytical pieces along with day-to-day reporting. He felt that Odisha sports journalists should get opportunities to cover events outside the state and country.

Former State Assistant Sports Director Mohanty praised the contributions of journalists for the development of sports in the state. He was of the opinion that the advent of internet has made sports reporting easier, but highly competitive. He suggested that sports scribe should strive to enrich their knowledge about laws and technical intricacies of different games.

Air India employee Satyapragyan was candid in his admission that sports journalists of the state have helped him like elder brothers. He reminded one and all that his mission to become a Grand Master was alive despite the path to the destination getting tougher due to various obstacles.

OSJA president K Ravi thanked people and organizations for their help to make the 39th Annual Convention of Sports Journalist Federation of India (SJFI) a grand success here last September. OSJA working president Sanatan Pani reiterated the state body’s commitment to make sports in Odisha public-friendly.

Throwing light on the foundation day, secretary Suresh Swain said though OSJA, an affiliated unit of SJFI, was founded in the year 2003, it was revived a decade later and was formally registered in March, 2015. He said the responsibility of the sports journalists of Odisha has increased a lot as the state is going to host a number of major events, including hockey World League, World Cup and Asian Athletics Championship.

OSJA used this occasion to felicitate KiiT PR Director Sraddhanjali Nayak and Sports Director Dr Gaganendu Dash, Tata Steel’s Bhubaneswar Corporate Communication head Soumitra Pattnaik, Maruti Estate Private Limited CMD Jitendra Prasad Singh and event management firm Mark Line’s proprietor Subrat Nayak for their supports in the successful hosting of the SJFI Convention. Most of the members of OSJA attended the programme, which was coordinated by its joint-secretary Sambit Mohapatra.