JournalismPakistan.com | Published July 03, 2021
Join our WhatsApp channelISLAMABAD—While paying rich tributes to the sports journalists' resolve to work for the betterment of athletes, Minister of State for Information Farrukh Habib said their role in highlighting players' plight during tough COVID-19 days was praiseworthy.
The minister spoke at the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Sports Journalists Association (Registered) function to celebrate the International Sports Journalism Day at the Islamabad Tennis Complex.
“It is praiseworthy to see sports journalists even taking the risk, reaching to suffering athletes and trying to seek help for them. No doubt sports journalism is one of the most important parts of journalism, and no one can ignore their utility in the society for their respective organizations.”
He said that sports journalists had always played a critical role in raising the status of an ordinary athlete to a level of international athlete. “It is because of the sports journalists that today we see a number of Pakistan players getting international status. Without their help that would not have been possible.”
The minister said that sports journalists’ quota in government-sponsored housing schemes has already been allocated. “Those journalists, including sports journalists who have no house of their own to live, will be accommodated in that scheme.”
Former international match referee Col (Retd) Naushad Ali said that Pakistan sports journalists have far better knowledge. “I have the honor of communicating with numerous international sports journalists during my tenure as the manager of the Pakistan national cricket team. I always found Pakistan journalists (majority) more knowledgeable and having grip on that particular issue on which they were taking. Indeed, they deserve a better deal.”
Former Pakistan Open champion and Pride of Performance recipient Farhan Mehboob said that he had achieved the world No 14 status because of the support of sports journalists. “Without their contribution. I would not have been able to reach this level.”
Emerging cricketer Rohail Nazir also hailed sports journalists’ role. “Whenever I performed well, sports journalists from all over the country praised my work and I am thankful to them.”
Earlier, RISJA Chairman Abdul Mohi Shah thanked the minister for devoting time to celebrate the day with journalists. “The sports journalists in the country are facing numerous problems. We hope that the government would help make sports journalism one of the most valuable forms of journalism. Sports journalism around the world is considered the most important part of the journalism family. Here in Pakistan, however, it is still struggling as a major part of the society can easily be lured by fake slogans. In sports journalism you can only depict the reality which surely is the hallmark of this profession.”
President RISJA Ayaz Akbar said that sports journalists should receive the same respect in the corridors of power as the political journalists. “RISJA will always fight for the genuine cause of sports journalism.”
Later, Farrukh Habib presented a shield to honor the services rendered by the veteran sports journalist Faheem Anwar.
June 11, 2025: Pakistan celebrated a narrow win over Bangladesh, but beneath the jubilation lies a deeper crisis—from sidelined veterans to a collapsing domestic structure—signaling an urgent need for cricket reform.
May 15, 2025: Discover the legacy of Samiullah Khan, Pakistan’s legendary "Flying Horse," whose breathtaking speed and artistry redefined hockey. From Olympic glory to World Cup triumphs, his story is one of myth, movement, and magic.
April 23, 2025: Discover Dr. Nauman Niaz’s In A Different Realm: Story of Quadruple & Triple Centuries 1876–2025, a profound exploration of cricket's most monumental innings, blending historical analysis with poetic narrative.
April 22, 2025: Once a beacon of hope for Pakistan's cricket revival, the Pakistan Super League now grapples with stagnation and moral compromises. Can this cultural symbol reclaim its lost soul?
March 15, 2025: Explore the dynamic relationship between athletes and sports journalists, examining the challenges, ethical dilemmas, and mutual benefits that shape the sports media landscape.
March 08, 2025: An in-depth analysis of Pakistan cricket's descent into chaos under Aaqib Javed's leadership, examining the controversial selection decisions, political interference, and systemic failures that undermined the national team ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
March 02, 2025: An unsparing analysis of Pakistan's Champions Trophy 2025 squad selection reveals not merely inexperience but a systemic rot of patronage networks, political expedience, and intellectual bankruptcy within Pakistan's cricket governance, continuing a tragic history of selection failures.
March 01, 2025: Pakistan cricket's selection paradox: a system where players like Babar Azam thrive despite, not because of, the process. This analysis reveals how positional shifts, political decisions, and philosophical failures continue to undermine a team capable of brilliance but hamstrung by a selection committee that mistakes chaos for strategy.
June 11, 2025 Pakistan celebrated a narrow win over Bangladesh, but beneath the jubilation lies a deeper crisis—from sidelined veterans to a collapsing domestic structure—signaling an urgent need for cricket reform.
June 11, 2025 Journalists walked out of the post-budget press conference in Islamabad to protest the absence of a technical briefing and the government's dismissive behavior, calling it unacceptable and intolerable.
May 31, 2025 Dr. Nauman Niaz has issued a defamation notice to Shoaib Akhtar over derogatory remarks made during a recent broadcast, reigniting a longstanding media feud between the two prominent figures in Pakistan.
May 30, 2025 The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has demanded the full repeal of PECA, citing its vague language, coercive powers, and threats to free speech and digital rights in Pakistan.
May 30, 2025 The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has condemned the murder of journalist Syed Mohammed Shah in Jacobabad, calling for urgent justice and improved safety for media professionals in Sindh.