He noted that sports helps in building physical and mental endurance and hence youngsters in particular should take up some sports or the other. Lauding the contribution of sports journalists in promoting sports and sportspersons, Poonia said sports journalists should not limit their coverage to the successes achieved by sportspersons but also work towards creating a culture for sports in the state. 

Participating in a discussion on the topic, State of football in Odisha, former Indian women football team captain Shradhanjali Samantray said Odisha has a good pool of talented women footballers and more players from the state should make it to the national team in the near future.

She shared experiences of her playing days and how journalists had always supported her journey. “The infrastructure, resources and opportunities back then were limited. Now there is no such problem,” she pointed out.

Echoing similar sentiments, renowned football coach Suvendu Panda said no player can complain of lack of resources because the state government is now investing a lot in sports including football. “Odisha’s football ecosystem is fine but to get better results we need to work harder,” he opined.

Woman footballer international Pyari Xaxa appreciated the role of sports journalists in her career and said, “I was simply Pyari Xaxa from a remote village in Sundargarh district. You (the sports journalists) have given me an identity and recognition.” 

OSJA president of Sandeep Mishra threw light on the achievements of Odisha in football and stressed the need for better documentation of the contributions of State football legends like Abdul Majid, Golak Samal, Bharati Mishra, Debendra Prasad Singh, Rajendra Prasad Singh, Shradhanjali Samantray and Sasmita Mallick so that youngsters can learn about them and get inspired. 

OSJA working president Samikhya Patnaik accentuated the need for the state government to extend full cooperation to sports journalists to enable them to play a bigger role in the growth and development of sports in Odisha.

The annual souvenir of OSJA was unveiled during the function. OSJA founding secretary and former State Information Commissioner Susanta Mohanty was felicitated on the occasion. 

Two dance performances (Odissi and folk) were staged by the Bhubaneswar-based Shree Dasavatara Natyashala dance troupe led by Mamata Satpathy. OSJA treasurer Suresh Kumar Swain compered the event while general secretary Tapan Kumar Swain proposed the vote of thanks.