World Sports Journalist Day

Many of us watch football matches of different leagues at night, shout and post status on Facebook as soon as our favorite team scores a goal. We are fans of many sports including cricket, table tennis, golf, wrestling, aren't we? Thus, the International Day of Sports Journalists, which disseminates, publishes, promotes and broadcasts sports related news, is celebrated on July 2 every year.

Today, the rights, interests and professionalism of sports journalists are discussed all over the world. This day has been celebrated since 1994.

What is sports journalism?
Sports journalism is a branch of journalism concerned with reporting news related to sports. It originated in the early 1800s and has covered all sports-related news and events since then. World Sports Journalists Day is observed annually to celebrate this form of journalism and the people engaged in it.

In the digital era, the pace of sports journalism has increased significantly. It requires great skill and expertise to cover such competitive news. World Sports Journalist Day is a great initiative to honor sports journalists and acknowledge their hard work.

Because of the journalists who take big cameras in risky races and sit at high altitudes and risk their lives, we get to watch live and clear audio-visuals at home. During the filming of many racing sports including cars, motorcycles, water boats, F1, journalists are always in the shadows while filming with the lens of the camera in their hands, they risk their life up in the air hanging on a chopper of below underneath a bunker and even underwater.

In some cases, we do not even know the names of the journalists who died in the course of sport news coverage. Today, the world remembers those brave and dutiful journalists. There is no country or language of sport, so African runners are popular in Asia, and Asian swimmers are popular in Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Photos of Messi, Beckamp, Ronaldo are affixed to Nepal's rural tea shops, Isn't this enough evidence for sports fascination?

These pictures are also taken by a hard working sports journalist. If they are not sports journalists, the market and context of sports will shrink globally.

Being a sports journalist requires not only risk and hard work but also knowledge. Only journalists who have a thorough knowledge of the game, rules and practices, and critical thinking can be a sports journalist. Let's remember that while we are watching the scene of a swimmer swimming on TV, a sports journalist is soaking in the water and following the swimmers while swimming with the camera. Moreover, the contribution and hard work of sports journalists in exclusive sport events like World Cup, football, cricket etc. is commendable.

We don't like to watch sports stale, so we "Hamro Patro" salute to all the sports journalists around the world who bring the same game and results to us without making the slightest mistake for live broadcast. Sports journalists are not seen as a formal business or a dream of the next generation in Nepal. Let the star of sports journalism grow in Nepal these days.

Suyog Dhakal