World Sports Journalist Day is annually observed all over the world on 2nd July to acknowledge and honour the hard work of sports journalists across the world. The day also commemorates the foundation of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS Association Internationale de la Presse Sportive) in 1924 in Paris, France.
2nd July 2023 marked the 99th Anniversary of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS).
Background:
i. World Sports Journalists Day was established by the AIPS in 1994 to mark the 70th anniversary of its foundation and celebrate the achievements of members of the sporting media.
ii. To mark the foundation of AIPS, July 2nd each year has been designated World Sports Journalists Day.
iii. The first-ever World Sports Journalists Day was observed on July 2nd 1994.
History of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS):
i.During the 1924 Summer Olympics at Paris, France,AIPS was established in Paris, France as Association Internationale de la Presse Sportive by Frantz Reichel, Games Press Chief and Victor Boin, Belgian freestyle swimmer.
ii. The first Congress was held in July 1924, with 29 nations present.
Note: 85 Congresses have been held since 1924, with the last one taking place in Seoul, the Republic of Korea (South Korea) in May 2023.
AIPS Card:
It is the only official sports press card recognised across all borders, represents an important network of contacts, information and communications linking more than 10,000 journalists as well as leading international daily newspapers, periodicals and radio and television channels across the five continents.
AIPS Sport Media Awards:
i. The AIPS Sport Media Awards are the highest international accolade in the sport media industryand is a celebration of sports media excellence, offering recognition to the very best sport storytellers across all media platforms.
ii. The 2023 Awards will be the 5thedition and will take place in Seoul, South Korea.
Various Awards for Sports Journalist:
i Emmy Award by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) and Dave Moore Award by Elysian Fields Quarterly, the United States of America (USA).
ii. Red Smith Award by the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE), the USA.
Federation in India:
i. Sports Journalists’ Federation of India (SJFI) was formed on 27th February 1976 at the Eden Gardens, Calcutta (now Kolkata), West Bengal.
ii. In 1978, SJFI became a founding member of the Asian Sports Journalists’ Union and in 1979 the SJFI got affiliated to the World Sports Journalist body AIPS.
About International Sports Press Association (AIPS):
President- Gianni Merlo
Headquarters- Lausanne, Switzerland
