The Golden Jubilee edition of the Sports Journalists Federation of India (SJFI) National Convention concluded with a closing ceremony at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday, where Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) president Rohan Jaitley spoke about the role of journalists in sports administration. PO
Addressing the gathering, Jaitley said constructive criticism from the media was essential for administrators.
“The balance between cricket administration and journalistic review is very important. Whether it is criticism or feedback, it is exceptionally important for an administrator. We need to realise where we are going wrong and rectify our mistakes,” he said.
Jaitley also announced a cash prize of ₹5 lakh for the Akash Rawal-led North Zone team, winners of the JK Bose Inter-Zonal T20 Cricket Tournament.
On the occasion, the DDCA felicitated India Women’s World Cup-winning cricketer Pratika Rawal with a reward of ₹51 lakh and honoured India U-19 Men’s World Cup squad member Uddhav Mohan with ₹11 lakh.
The four-day convention, hosted by the Delhi Sports Journalists Association (DSJA), brought together sports journalists from across the country for meetings, competitions and interactions.
Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Khadse and Sports Secretary Hari Ranjan Rao attended the opening day of the convention and addressed the visiting journalists.
On Saturday, journalists interacted with Member of Parliament and former Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur.
A sports conclave held during the event featured ICC chairman Jay Shah, BCCI vice-president and Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Shukla, and Archery Association of India honorary secretary general Virendra Sachdeva.
Several personalities from the sports and corporate sectors were felicitated on the final day, including 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 chairman Krishan Kumar Tak.
SJFI office-bearers also honoured Sangeeta Baroova, the first woman president of the federation, and felicitated 18 state presidents and secretaries.
DSJA president Abhishek Tripathi said hosting the Golden Jubilee convention in the capital was a significant milestone for the association.
SJFI president Saraju Chakraborty said the 50-year milestone reflected the growth of sports journalism in India.
On the sporting front, North Zone defeated East Zone by 10 wickets to win the JK Bose Inter-Zonal T20 Cricket Tournament. East Zone scored 135 for 6 in 20 overs, with Pranab Shil making an unbeaten 47, before North Zone chased the target in 9.5 overs, led by Rishabh Singh’s unbeaten 87.
In another match, West Zone beat South Zone by 10 wickets after bowling them out for 97.
In the AC Bali Table Tennis Tournament, the Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai-1 won the team championship. Amol Karhadkar won the men’s singles title and also partnered Ashwin to claim the men’s doubles title.
The event concluded with a dinner hosted by DDCA president Rohan Jaitley.
-IANS
