BHUBANESWAR : For Olympian Anuradha Biswal, Indian women's football team skipper Sraddhanjali Samantray, cricketer Sib Sundar Das and several stars of the sports and athletics arena from Orissa, it was a pleasant journey down memory lane on Wednesday as they gathered at the Orissa Modern Art Gallery here for a unique exhibition of publications and photographs by sports journalist and commentator Sambit Mohapatra.

The exhibition titled as `Two decades from the playground' showcases Sambit's hundreds of clippings from important Oriya newspapers and magazines and nearly 300 photographs in which he has captured several memorable moments of sports activities. The passionate sports writer and enthusiast and the most beloved media man for the sports fraternity of the state, he has inspired and guided many during his two-decade-long career. The State Government honoured him with the best sports journalist award in 2004.

Inspiration

"It was a spontaneous interest in me for sports journalism. Way back in 1985, when I had just joined the college, I wrote a piece and sent it to the Sambad daily that was carried the next day. I felt inspired and there was no looking back since then," recalled Sambit who started his career with the same newspaper and became its sports editor later.

"Media plays a vital role in shaping the career of an athlete or sportsperson, especially during one's formative years. Sambit's writings have served the cause of sports in Orissa in a great way," observed Anuradha Biswal. "It makes me so happy to see my old photographs and reports of my performances and interviews in this show. I have not even been able to preserve these clippings on myself. This show will definitely encourage the aspiring athletes and sportspersons to struggle more to succeed. It is a great tribute to Orissa's sports," remarked Sraddhanjali.

The show that was inaugurated collectively by the band of sportspersons including eminent coaches will be on view till March 12.

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