Former FISU/AIPS Young Reporters enter Olympic Media Arena

Olympic Legends

LONDON – Not only former Summer Universiade participants are doing very well at the current Olympic Games in London, where they are crowding the medal podiums in the different sports disciplines. Indeed, since installing the inaugural FISU/AIPS Young Reporters’ Program during the 2011 Summer Universiade in Shenzhen, a number of these Young Reporters also found there way to the pinnacle of sport journalism.

As it is often the case for young talented athletes, the Universiades or the World University Championships are a stepping stone for their sports career. Now, the successful first edition of the joint FISU-AIPS-SUOC programme already proved its worth as a stepping stone to an international journalism career since a number of YRP participants could be spotted among the media army present at the Olympic Games in London.

Remarkable as well is the fact that three of the twelve Young Reporters selected by the FISU International Press Committee were among those present! Proof that the IPC members made the right choice in the selection process.

Young Reporters Sene Diacounde (1st) & Everton Ferreira de Melo (3rd)

At an AIPS event last Thursday at the London Olympics, where the International Sports Press Association celebrated its ‘veterans’ among the Olympic Reporters – those with more than 10 Olympics under their belt –  the Young Reporters were praised as well. The celebrants received a miniature Olympic Torch. A classy celebration of more than 100 journalists and photographers in the presence of Olympic Legend Edwin Moses, double Olympic Champion and breaker of four world records. Joining Mr Moses was his great friend, a very spritely 89-year-old Harrison Dillard, the oldest living Olympic 100m champion (London 1948 and Helsinki 1952). Also in attendance were Laureus Academy Members Australian swimming great Dawn Fraser, IOC vice-president Nawal El Moutawakel who was the first female Muslim athlete to win an Olympic gold medal, Kenyan track and field legend Kip Keino, and current Olympic triathlon champion, Australia’s Emma Snowsill, a Laureus Ambassador. They were joined by Dick Fosbury, Olympic gold medalist, former President of the World Olympians Association and architect of the back-flip high jump “Fosbury Flop”, former US Olympic swimmer and TV journalist Donna de Varona, Cuban Olympic volleyball star and IOC Member Yumilka Ruiz, and Kenyan long distance world record holder and peace activist Tegla Loroupe, the recipient of the AIPS/CIFP 2010 Promotion of Fair Play award.Olympic legend Edwin Moses

After the ceremony Sene Diacounda (SEN), Shenzhen SU FISU Young Reporter and currently member of the FISU Student Committee, shared her thoughts with FISU Media. ‘I’m so happy and proud to receive this torch in front of all the veterans of sport journalism. I never expected to get this appraisal. But it’s a motivation for me to do more in my career in order to become one day like these role models. I have started my short career at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore as an IOC Young reporter and have learned lots of things. Then, with the FISU/AIPS programme at the Universiade I managed to gain even more experience and improve myself. And nAIPS president Gianni Merloow I’m here in London covering my first Olympic Games, a dream come true. In other words, these two training programs helped me learn the trade. In my opinion, it’s continuity. Even if they are differently organized with different aims, Olympic Games and the Universiade are both promoting excellence, not only for the athletes but also for the journalists. And that’s the most important for me.’

Everton Ferreira de Melo from Brazil, is also a former FISU selected young journalist who acquired some major knowledge commenting and writing about the Summer Universiade in Shenzhen. ‘I had a massive experience in Shenzhen during the Universiade, now I am having the opportunity to follow the amazing Olympic Games here in London, I could go to the Olympic park and feel all the magic there. Now I know for sure I chose the right job for me, even if it is really demanding and you don’t have so many hours of sleep, I want to run this marathon and face this exciting challenge and get ready for the Games in Brazil in the upcoming years.’

Working at the London Games also is Usher Komugisha (UGA), another FISU selected YR from Shenzhen. YR Usher Komugisha at work in the MPCBesides these three, are also covering the Games: Thorkel Gunnarson (ISL), Bence Mohay (HUN), Jan Miers (GER), while Alan Abrahamson, the Director of the YRP programme in Shenzhen is prominently present with a daily TV show. Spotted as well in the Media crowd was keynote speaker Steve McAllister from Yahoo Sports Canada, a keynote speaker at programme in Shenzhen.

AIPS President Gianni Merlo appraised once more the FISU/AIPS joint programme. ‘It is a fantastic opportunity for these youngsters to learn the trade of multi-sport games reporting.’ Merlo, himself a 20-Olympic Games media veteran, knows the pitfalls of big sporting events. ‘It’s important they come prepared. The FISU Universiades can provide them with a thorough training. It has shown its value if you see that a number of the participants who had their first multi-sport games experience at the Universiade in Shenzhen are now working here at the Olympics. This looks very promising.’

C. Pierre, FISU Press Officer