Debi Prasanna Mohanty and Debasis Sundaray were unanimously elected as new Secretary and Treasurer respectively of Odisha Sports Journalists Association (OSJA) at its Annual General Meeting (AGM), which was held at Saheed Sporting Club premises in Bhubaneswar today.

Mohanty and Sundaray succeeded Sambit Mohapatra and Himanshu Patimishra respectively for a two-year term (2022-2024). President Sandeep Mishra and Working President K Ravi retained respective posts for another term.

Outgoing Secretary Sambit Mohapatra was felicitated on being elected as a Vice-president of Sports Journalists Federation of India (SJFI) recently. Various decisions were taken at the AGM, which was presided over by Sandeep Mishra.

According to the decisions, OSJA will organise its annual awards function on the occasion of its Foundation Day on 21st March 2022. Proposals to waive off membership fees the years 2020-22 due to Covid pandemic and accord membership to new sports journalists of the state were approved.

The AGM also featured elaborate discussion on issues pertaining to difficulties faced by sports journalists in gathering information and covering events in the state. On this issue, it was decided that OSJA will seek better support and cooperation from all stakeholders of sports in Odisha.

It was also decided that a delegation of OSJA will meet higher authorities of the State Government, seeking restoration of Biju Patnaik Award for sports journalists, government accreditation for them and a government quarter for setting up of the State office of OSJA.

Besides the office-bearers, sports journalists Umakant Mishra, Bimal Kumar, Debi Prasanna Panigrahi, Manoranjan Das, Ranjan Ray, Manmohan Swain, Sujit Das, Pratap Pradhan, Benudhar Das, Chakradhar Majhi, Mahendra Sahoo, Tushar Senapati and Kumarshree Sahoo were present in the AGM.

OSJA Office-bearers for the term 2022-24: President: Sandeep Mishra, Working President: K Ravi, Vice-Presidents: Sanjib Biswal, Samikhya Patnaik, Himanshu Patimishra; Secretary: Debi Prasana Mohanty, Joint-Secretaries: Suresh Swain, Gyana Ranjan Mishra, Tapan Kumar Swain; Treasurer: Debasis Sundaray, Executive Committee Members: Susanta Mohanty, Sanatan Pani, Sambit Mohapatra, Tanmay Das, Sameer Rout, Sukesh Behera, Dipti Ranjan Samal.
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PHOTO: Office-bearers and members at the Annual General Meeting of Odisha Sports Journalists Association in Bhubaneswar on 5th January 2022.