Nepal Sports Journalists Forum

Nepal Sports Journalists Forum (NSJF) today announced that the annual Player of the Year Awards will take place on August 19, 2007 at the Birendra International Convention Center.

“We are organizing the event on August 19, 2007,” general secretary Hemanta Kafle announced in a press conference organized at the NSJF office. “We should have held the event on July 2 – the International Sports Journalists Day – but rescheduled it due to technical reasons.”

“The event this year will be bigger and better than yesteryears,” he said adding that national television station, the Nepal Television, has agreed to broadcast the event live. Kafle also added that NSJF has already formed a main organizing committee, three committees and three sub-committees for the event.

The main organizing committee and management committee is headed by President Niranjan Rajbanshi while Treasurer Himesh Bajracharya and Secretary Mahesh Acharya head the Finance and Player Selection Committee respectively.

President Rajbanshi hoped that the sports journalists of the country would help to make the event a grand success as usual. “I believe this is an event that sports journalists can take pride of, and that we all will come together to make the event better and grand success,” he added.

The POY Awards started by NSJF a decade ago and being held annually since 2004 is the most awaited sports event of the country. Last year, the event was sponsored by LG and there were five categories.

[on pic: secretary Mahesh Acharya, president Niranjan Rajbanshi, general secretary Hemanta Kafle and vice-president Dhruba Tuladhar at the press conference. Pic by Durga Dulal]

International Sports Press Association (AIPS) and Asian Sports Press Union (ASPU) have officially recognized Nepal Sports Journalists Forum (NSJF) as a member on Wednesday during the Annual Congress at Bregenz, Austria.

AIPS President Gianni Merlo pronounced NSJF as the representative organization from Nepal on the second day of the 70th Congress. “I have lots of hope from NSJF because this is the association with really energetic and young sports journalists,” he said.

He also made commitment to help NSJF in every aspect of sports journalism and showed his interest in visiting Nepal. “Hopefully, I will be there during the annual Player of the Year Award Ceremony,” he added.

Earlier in the morning, ASPU accepted Nepal as the 31st member in the continental meeting at the Festive House. ASPU President Park Kap Chul praised NSJF’s report presented by president Niranjan Rajbanshi.

“I know NSJF is one of the most active associations even before it had been officially accepted by AIPS and ASPU,” the South Korean said. “I congrats NSJF and hope that they will continue their good run.”

Along with NSJF, sports associations from Gambia, Montenegro, Oman, Zambia, Haitiens, Paraguay and Serbia were recognized as new members. In the week-long Congress, 108 countries - including 21 Asian nations - are participating.

Earlier on the first day, Austria’s Federal Chancellor, Dr Alfred Gusenbauer, along
with Merlo officially opened the Congress. In his opening address, Dr Gusenbauer, who is also the sports minister, said: “Sports journalists must be responsible in reporting the facts on issues such as doping.”

Dr Gusenbauer also emphasized the duty of the media to encourage peace through sport and added that the Austrian government supported Salzburg’s bid to host the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.