Gets Green Light From Youth And Sports Ministry
The Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) today (14 September 2009) gave its green light to a suggestion by the Sportswriters Association of Malaysia (SAM) to introduce a sport journalism award from next year.
Its minister, Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek, said the introduction of such an award could enhance the quality of sports writing and news.
“We want the award to also be on par with other journalism awards. For that purpose, the ministry will allocate RM100,000 to SAM and also for it to carry out its activities,” he said in his speech at a breaking fast hosted by SAM here Monday night.
Ahmad Shabery said the criteria for the award would be discussed by the ministry and SAM soon.
“We may form an independent committee to evaluate sports writing and critics, photographs, reports by the electronic media, etc, to give credibility to the award,” he added.
He said the ministry also planned to offer grants, like scholarship, to SAM members to go for short-term courses or training in sports journalism, locally and abroad.
— BERNAMA