New Delhi, March 16 (IANS) The Golden Jubilee edition of the Sports Journalists Federation of India (SJFI) National Convention concluded with a grand closing ceremony at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday, with Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) President Rohan Jaitley emphasising the importance of the relationship between sports administrators and journalists.
“The balance between cricket administration and journalistic reviews is very important. Whether it be criticism or feedback, for an administrator, it is exceptionally important. We need to realise where we are going wrong. It is important to know our mistakes. It is important to rectify them,” said Jaitley.
Jaitley also announced a cash prize of ₹5 lakh for the Akash Rawal-led North Zone team, the winners of the JK Bose Inter-Zonal T20 Cricket Tournament. “Since the North Zone has won, on behalf of the association, I would want to announce a cash prize of ₹5 lakh for the winning side,” he added.
On the occasion, the DDCA also felicitated India Women’s World Cup-winning cricketer Pratika Rawal with a ₹51 lakh reward and honoured India U-19 Men’s World Cup squad member Uddhav Mohan with a cash award of ₹11 lakh.
The four-day Golden Jubilee convention, hosted by the Delhi Sports Journalists Association (DSJA), brought together sports media professionals from across the country for meetings, competitions, and networking.
On the first day of the Convention, Smt Raksha Khadse, Minister of State (MoS), Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and sports secretary Hari Ranjan Rao graced the occasion, addressing the visiting journalists from across the country.
On Saturday, the journalists had a special interaction with Member of Parliament and former Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur.
The programme also featured a major sports conclave with International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman Jay Shah, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Vice President and Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Rajiv Shukla, and Archery Association of India Honorary Secretary General Virendra Sachdeva.
Several dignitaries and stakeholders from the sports and corporate ecosystems were felicitated during the Day 4 proceedings of the convention. Among those honoured were Svayam Founder Sminu Jindal, Adimazes Founder Akhilesh Yadav, WordsWork Communications Consulting Founder and CEO Neha Mathur Rastogi, RPL Industries Chairman Rakesh Mishra, and Rajasthan United Football Club (RUFC) Chairman Krishan Kumar Tak.
The SJFI President and Secretary also honoured Sangeeta Baroova, the first woman President of the Sports Journalist Federation of India, and felicitated 18 state presidents and secretaries.
“Hosting the Golden Jubilee convention in the capital has been a monumental honour for the DSJA,” said the President of the Delhi Sports Journalist Association, Abhishek Tripathi. “Our goal was to create an environment where the fraternity could celebrate its legacy while also enjoying the sports we cover daily.”
The President of the Sports Journalist Federation of India, Saraju Chakraborty, added, “Reaching fifty years is a testament to the resilience of sports journalism in India. This convention celebrated our history while setting a progressive tone for the future.”
Sabi Hussain, Secretary of the Delhi Sports Journalist Association, thanked the sponsors, stating that organising a four-day event of this magnitude would not have been possible without the support of partners from across the sports and corporate ecosystem.
On the sporting front, North Zone won the JK Bose Inter-Zonal T20 Cricket Tournament, defeating East Zone by 10 wickets. East Zone scored 135/6 in 20 overs, with Pranab Shil scoring an unbeaten 47. North Zone chased down the target in just 9.5 overs, led by Rishabh Singh’s unbeaten 87. In another match, West Zone defeated South Zone by 10 wickets after bowling them out for 97.
The AC Bali Table Tennis Tournament also witnessed intense competition, with the Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai-1 winning the team championship. Amol Karhadkar won the men’s singles title and paired with Ashwin to win the men’s doubles title as well.
The evening concluded with a dinner hosted by DDCA President Rohan Jaitley, bringing the landmark Golden Jubilee convention to a celebratory close.
--IANS
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