Africa-Press – Gambia. The Sports Journalists Association of The Gambia on Saturday celebrated International Sports Day with a forum that featured deliberations on the state of sports journalism in the world and The Gambia.
Described as one of the best organised forums that projected the work and history of sports journalism in the country, the event heard from veteran and long standing members of the profession talk on a number of insightful issues relevant to the work of sports journalists now and in the future. They include presentations from the veterans like inimitable Tijan Masanneh Ceesay and Musa Sise, Famara Fofana, Biesenty Gomez, Dodou Bojang to the young dynamic secretary general of SJAG Lamin Drammeh among others, who took time to take questions and contributions from the audience packed with passionate and exuberant young reporters eager to cut a niche in the profession. The reporters heard stories of the hustle and bustle of scripting stories from away grounds rushing to get it published The Gambia News Bulletin the next day or aired on Radio Gambia that very night, back in the 1970s and 1980s. And the stories had to be colourful and lively.
Comparing that to the current day cutting edge technology that even seems to think for the reporter and enable him or her to share stories across the globe in a twinkle of eye, the forum linked the two generations with inspiration and guidance.
The spirit and camaraderie in the hall touched all sides, both on the high table and across the audience.
“As General Secretary of the International Sports Press Association Africa Section and former president of the Sports journalist Association of The Gambia, I presented and dilated on the evolution of Sports journalism in The Gambia and the contribution of the key players, namely administrators, athletes and other stakeholders. Happy International Sports journalist day,” Musa Sise commented on the historic event.
Tijan Masanneh Ceesay said: “I was very humbled by the Sports Journalist Association who invited me to the International Sports Journalists Day. I have had a lot of honours come my way, but, there is none bigger than this one. As the youngest accredited journalist in Gambian history, I had looked forward to this day when I could sit with young journalists and share my story. Again, thank you Sukai Bojang for teaching me the craft and accrediting me at that age. You certainly put me in the history books!! Thank you Omar Jarju and the Sports Journalist Association. I had a blast and I hope I gave you all you wanted.”
Momodou Gajaga, one of the leading toasts in current broadcast journalism commented on the event:”It was a great day of reflection, sharing fruitful discussions on the evolution of sports journalism, challenges and opportunities in The Gambia as part of commemoration of International Sports Journalism Day. We are immensely grateful to our veteran journalists who spoke on various important topics to impart knowledge, inspire and chart a path forward for young sports journalists”. The day was described as great achievement and refection of the inspiring and promising direction and policies of the new SJAG leadership under President Omar Jarju.
World Sports Journalists Day is celebrated every year on July 2. Also referred to as International Sports Journalists Day, the holiday was created in 1994 by the International Sports Press Association to celebrate its 70th anniversary. Sports journalism developed during the 1800s but was centered on elitist sports and was more focused on reporting the social context of sports events. In the 1920s, the profession began to take shape as newspapers dedicated more time and space to sports journalism.
In 1994, the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) celebrated World Sports Journalists Day for the first time in honor of its 70th anniversary. In 1924, the AIPS was founded in Paris, France as the L’Association Internationale de la Presse Sportive. However, the association is now headquartered in the Olympic capital of Lausanne, Switzerland. The AIPS is an independent organisation with 160 member associations, from which it receives funding through membership fees and the contributions of other international bodies and federations.
The aim of the AIPS is “to enhance the cooperation between its member associations in defending sport and the professional interest of members, to strengthen the friendship, solidarity, and common interests between sports journalists of all nations, and to assure the best possible working conditions for members.”
Sports journalism is a type of writing that focuses on sports-centered topics. Sports journalism developed in the 1800s, specifically the 1820s and 1830s. At the onset, reporting focused primarily on elite sports such as horse racing and boxing, mainly targeted at the upper class since newspapers were beyond the reach of the masses. However, the development of the penny press opened the door to affordable newspaper production, ultimately making them more accessible to the lower strata of society. The 20th century witnessed a massive boom in the popularity of sports journalism. In 1880, only 0.4% of space was dedicated to sports in newspapers. This figure rose to 20% by the 1920s, as newspapers began hiring reporters exclusively for sports coverage. Today, sports journalism utilises not only print media but also radio, television, and the Internet.
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