Mobile Journalism and Social Media workshop for Journalists

Karachi: A group photo after workshop at Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi

KARACHI: Sports Journalists Association of Sindh (SJAS) arranged a Workshop on ‘Mobile Journalism and Social Media’ its importance, in collaboration with Arts Council of Pakistan here the other day.
The workshop was attended by large number of sports journalists including SJAS members. Video attached here

Karachi: Muhammad Asif Khan highlighted importance of social media for news.

Senior journalists, Asif Khan, Faizan Lakhani, Mehmood Riaz and Ubaid Awan, work with news channels, gave a detail briefing on Mobile Journalism.
Senior journalists while highlighted the use mobile phones during reporting, said during making of mobile video, the most important thing is how to hold it, being a professional journalist.

Karachi: Mr Faizan Lakhani delivered lecture how to use mobile in field to make footage and how to edit it for news.

Choosing a good mobile for personal use with different features including developing, editing, formatting, message sending, storage apps plays the role of a newsroom in your own hand.
On the occasion, former member of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Governing Board and ex-President of Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA), Ejaz Farooqui said that the assistance of the journalists is to be consistent with modern technology.
SJAS has set an example for other journalists’ associations by organizing such type of workshops, he added.

Karachi: Mr Ubaid Awan highlighted role of social media and citizen journalism

Tariq Aslam, SJAS President said that mobile phone has become the most important tool for improving journalism and reporting.
The aim of the workshop is to maintain the continuity of learning and teaching process, Tariq opined.

Karachi: Mr Mehmood Riaz delivered his lecture about social media

Muhammad Asghar Azeem, Secretary SJAS said while delivering his speech said that today the mobile phone is been assisting in almost every sector of our society as civilians recoding on the spot videos have helped in apprehending lots of criminals and one can imagine what a journalist can do with it.

Karachi: Mr Ubaid Awan receiving certificate after workshop from Prof. Ijaz Ahmed Farooqui (Sec. Arts Council)

Mobile journalism is no threat to cameraman but can be compatible with the modern requirements of journalism.
Cameraman can also switch to mobile journalism so that in the world, he would be called video journalists instead of Cameraman, Secretary SJAS concluded.
Later, Professor Ejaz Farooqui distributed certificates to the participants.

Karachi: A view of workshop participants

Karachi: SJAS President Tariq Aslam and Secretary Asghar Azeem receiving their certificates.

Japan short track skater sent home from Games for failed test

PYEONGCHANG, South Korea (Reuters) – Japanese short track speed skater Kei Saito failed an out-of-competition doping test on the day of his arrival in Pyeongchang and has been expelled from the Winter Olympics, Japan team officials said on Tuesday.

Saito, a reserve athlete who had not yet competed in South Korea, was provisionally suspended after testing positive for masking agent acetalozamide and a final ruling would be issued after the Games, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said.

Masking agents are often used to cover up banned performance-enhancing substances.

This is the first doping case during the testing period of the Olympics in South Korea and comes as Tokyo prepares to host the Summer Games in 2020.

Team Japan officials said Saito was tested hours after arriving in the athletes’ village on Feb 4.

The athlete said he was stunned by the finding.

“I am shocked by this as I have never tried to commit doping,” Saito said in a statement.

”I have been trained in anti-doping. I have never taken a steroid so there is no need for me to mask something, and I never had to drop weight by using this medicine.

  

Team chief Yasuo Saito said the athlete had also been tested at a training camp on Jan. 29 on the order of the International Skating Union (ISU) and his test was negative.

Slideshow (2 Images)

“We respect the athlete and his will and intentions, and in conjunction with the Japanese skating federation we will continue to look into this matter with all our means,” he added.

The team chief said it was “inexplicable” how the athlete could have tested positive but in order not to burden his team mates he agreed with the International Olympic Committee proposal to have him removed from the Games.

He added that while the suspension was only provisional it was better for the athlete to leave as there was no time to clear his name.

“There was no opportunity to prove his innocence during the Olympic Games. It was a difficult decision, one he did not want to take, but he accepted to leave the Olympic village so as not to cause problems for his fellow team members,” the team chief said.

Doping cases are rare among Japanese athletes and this is the first for the country at a Winter Olympics.

Last month, however, sprint canoeist Yasuhiro Suzuki admitted to spiking a rival’s drink with an anabolic steroid to scuttle his Olympic dream, and was banned for eight years.

He now faces a lifetime ban from the Japan canoe federation.

World’s Best Athletes and Squads To Compete In 2018 Major League Triathlon Series

Charlotte, NC – Major League Triathlon is proud to announce new squad-based teams and franchises for 2018. Major League Triathlon will welcome 5 squads and 3 composite teams for the 2018 season.

“This new squad based system will bring the World’s top athletes to MLT”, said Daniel Cassidy, CEO of Major League Triathlon. “We will have virtually every single USA athlete that is favored to race in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in the league this year. We will also have some of the top international athletes competing, including the reigning World Champions of Mixed Team Relay, the Australians.”

MLT teams will carry a roster with a minimum of 6 athletes. During each round of the series, the top 4 athletes from each team will compete.

The following squads will race for MLT:

1. San Diego Stingrays- Represented by Paulo Sousa’s Squad
2. Arizona Kingsnakes- Represented by Jono Hall’s Squad
3. Colorado Peaks– Represented by Neal Henderson’s Squad
4. Toronto Freeze – Represented by Craig Taylor’s Squad
5. Atlantic City Waves – Represented by Ian O’Brien’s Squad
6. Carolina Gliders – Represented by Composite Team #1 (Captain Ben Kanute)
7. Florida Sun- Represented by Composite Team #2 (Captain John O’Neill)
8. Australian Franchise-TBA– Represented by an Australian Composite Squad

MLT rosters will have the top ranked US Male athletes including, but not limited to:

Ben Kanute
Matt McElroy
Kevin McDowell
Eric Lagerstrom
Eli Hemming
Jason West

MLT rosters will also have some of the top US Female athletes including, but not limited to:

Summer Cook
Taylor Spivey
Lindsey Jerdonek
Tamara Gorman 
Chelsea Burns

Beyond the US based powerhouse athletes, MLT will also feature international stars on team rosters, including:  

Paula Findlay
Dominika Jamnicky
Joanna Brown
Matt Sharpe
Tyler Mislawchuk
Jason Wilson

In addition, Major League Triathlon will be offering amateur ambassador teams for fans and athletes to support and interact with their local pro team franchise. MLT will be releasing more information about amateur ambassador teams in the coming weeks.

Major League Triathlon

Major League Triathlon is the first and only professional triathlon league in the United States. Major League Triathlon hosts races in major cities across the United States. Major League Triathlon was formed in 2016 with the goal of creating a more spectator-friendly version of triathlon. Major League Triathlon aims to grow the sport of triathlon on both an amateur and professional level. For a complete list of Major League Triathlon events, visit www.majorleaguetri.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

US gymnastics coach Larry Nassar sentenced for assaulting female gymnasts

LANSING, Mich. –One of the first athletes to accuse Larry Nassar of sexual assault confronted him Wednesday in a Michigan courtroom where the former sports doctor was due to the sentenced for years of molesting Olympic gymnasts and other young women.

The last of more than 150 victims to offer statements at Nassar’s sentencing hearing was a Kentucky lawyer who stepped forward in 2016 after USA Gymnastics was accused of mishandling complaints of sexual assault.Rachael Denhollander said Nassar groped, fondled and penetrated her with his hands when she was a 15-year-old gymnast in Michigan. Denhollander’s statements to Michigan State University police put the criminal investigation in high gear in 2016.

“You have become a man ruled by selfish and perverted desires,” she told Nassar, who worked at the university and USA Gymnastics, the sport’s governing body, which also trains Olympians.

Nassar faces a minimum prison term of 25 to 40 years when he is sentenced later Wednesday by Judge Rosemarie Aquilina.

The sentence will cap a remarkable seven-day hearing that has given the girls, young women and their parents a chance to confront the doctor in court.

Nassar, 54, pleaded guilty to assaulting seven people in the Lansing area, but the sentencing hearing has been open to anyone who said they were a victim. His accusers said he would use his ungloved hands to penetrate them, often without explanation, while they were on a table seeking help for various injuries.

The accusers, many of whom were children, said they trusted Nassar to care for them properly, were in denial about what was happening or were afraid to speak up. He sometimes used a sheet or his body to block the view of any parent in the room.

“I’d been told during my entire gymnastics career to not question authority,” a former elite gymnast, Isabell Hutchins, said Tuesday.

The judge is likely to be unsparing in her treatment of Nassar. Aquilina has praised the victims who have appeared in her court since Jan. 16, calling them “sister survivors,” while also assuring them that their perpetrator will pay. The women have included Olympians Aly Raisman, Jordyn Wieber and McKayla Maroney.

“Your words are vital. They are as strong as your martial arts,” Aquilina told Christina Barba, who has known Nassar for decades and practices karate. “They will take him down quicker and cleaner than any kick you’ve got.”

Hutchins and Mattie Larson, a former national gymnast, talked about how Nassar won their allegiance with candy, Olympic trinkets and encouraging words while they were under constant scrutiny from their demanding coaches.

Brooke Hylek, a gymnast who plans to compete in college, heaped scorn on Nassar.

“I cannot believe I ever trusted you, and I will never forgive you,” she said Tuesday. “I’m happy you will be spending the rest of your life in prison. Enjoy hell by the way.”

Emily Morales had a softer message.

“I want you to apologize to me right here,” the 18-year-old told Nassar. “I want to forgive you, but I also want to hear you tell me that you regret all the hurting you caused.”

He did. She replied with, “Thank you.”

Nassar has already been sentenced to 60 years in federal prison for child pornography crimes. He is scheduled to be sentenced next week on more assault convictions in Eaton County, Michigan.

AP

Barcelona deny reports of Griezmann agreement

MADRID: Barcelona have “strongly” denied claims made by Spanish daily Sport on Saturday that they have reached an agreement to sign Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid at the end of the season.
“The Atletico Madrid forward has agreed to join Barcelona and will be under (coach) Ernesto Valverde’s orders next season,” Sport said, adding that Griezmann’s current buy-out clause of 200 million euros ($240 million) drops by half on July 1.

However, Barcelona later took the unusual step of releasing a statement to deny the reports from the Catalan newspaper.

“FC Barcelona strongly denies the information that has appeared over the course of the last few hours in different media regarding Atletico Madrid player, Antoine Griezmann, and an alleged deal with our club,” said the statement on the Catalan club’s website.

Such a reaction can be explained by the fact that Atletico have complained to FIFA about “repeated contacts” between Barca and the France striker.

“FC Barcelona expresses its objections in the face of these events and reiterates its full respect for the institution of Atletico Madrid,” added the statement.

Barcelona have been scrambling to add high-quality players to their squad since Paris Saint-Germain lured Brazilian star Neymar to France in a world-record signing last August.

Philippe Coutinho joined from Liverpool this month in a 180 million-euro ($220 million) deal.

Not wanting to add fuel to the fire, Valverde played down the transfer talk at his press conference ahead of Sunday’s trip to Betis in La Liga.

“Griezmann is a great player who plays for another club whom we respect,” he said.

“When the transfer window is open, we are in a world where there is speculation on a daily basis and we have to live with that.

“But if you’re asking me if Griezmann is a good player, well obviously he is a good player. But I repeat what I always say: I prefer to talk about my own players.”
Sport says it believes Griezmann’s transfer will take place after the World Cup in Russia, where he will have a key role for France, who are among the favourites.

Another Catalan daily, Mundo Deportivo, reported in December that the player’s family had lunch with the Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu to smooth the way for the transfer.
Brazilian born Spain striker Diego Costa joined Atletico from Chelsea in September, and has proved to be the club’s top performer since his debut two weeks ago.
Barcelona, whose stars Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta are all in their thirties, signed Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dortmund for 105 million euros last summer, but the 20-year-old French rising star’s campaign has been marred by injury.

AFP

Three times Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas sexually abused by USA Gymnastics team physician

New York – Three-times Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas said on Tuesday she was sexually abused by former USA Gymnastics team physician Larry Nassar, the latest in a list of female athletes to accuse the doctor of misconduct.

Douglas, who last week was criticized for placing some of the onus on women to avoid sexual harassment, apologized again for her remarks while adding that she too was abused by Nassar, who is in jail awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to federal child pornography charges.

In an Instagram post on Tuesday addressing last week’s comments that were viewed by some as victim shaming, Douglas wrote: ”It would be like saying that because of the leotards we wore, it was our fault that we were abused by Larry Nassar.

“I didn’t publicly share my experiences as well as many other things because for years we were conditioned to stay silent and honestly some things were extremely painful.”

Jeff Raymond, a publicist for Douglas, confirmed in an email that the gymnast was in fact “confirming that she too was a victim of Larry Nassar.”

Nassar’s attorney, Matt Newburg, was not immediately available for comment but has previously said that due to a gag order imposed he had no comment.

Douglas is the third member of the ‘Fierce Five’ gymnastics team who won a team gold at the 2012 London Olympics to allege abuse by Nassar, joining Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney.

It was after Raisman’s allegations last week that Douglas wrote in a since-deleted post on Twitter that “it is our responsibility as women to dress modestly and be classy. Dressing in a provocative/sexual way entices the wrong crowd.”

(Reuters)

Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028 awarded Olympic Games as IOC confirms double allocation

LIMA, September 2017 – Paris has officially been awarded the hosting rights of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, while Los Angeles was confirmed as the host of the 2028 Games.

The decision was confirmed at the 131st IOC Session in Lima that saw members of the International Olympic Committee vote unanimously to ratify the historic tripartite agreement that confirms a double allocation of the 2024 and 2028 Olympic Games.

The idea of a double allocation of the 2024 and 2028 Games was first brought forward by IOC President Thomas Bach in June this year and approved by the Executive Board, before the proposal was also unanimously confirmed by the Extraordinary IOC Session in July.

On July 31, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced that his city had transferred its bid to the 2028 Games in agreement with the IOC. The Session in Lima would serve to ratify the tripartite agreement between the Paris and Los Angeles bids and the US and French Olympic Committees.

And there were no surprises in Lima on Wednesday as, after a unanimous show of hands from IOC members, Thomas Bach presented Mayors Anne Hidalgo and Eric Garcetti with their respective Paris 2024 and LA 2028 cards, no envelopes necessary and no losers, but rather a win on all sides for the two cities and the IOC.

The decision will see Paris host the Games for the third time on the 100th anniversary of its 1924 Olympics. The city had previously hosted the Games in 1900.

Los Angeles will be hosting the Games in 11 years time, with head of the 2028 Evaluation Commission Patrick Baumman previously assuring IOC members that “the benefits of awarding the Games to Los Angeles 11 years ahead of time far outweigh any possible risks.” Baumman confirmed letters of support from the United States Federal Government, the Senate of the State of California, and the City Council of Los Angeles.

IOC Vice President John Coates had previously outlined the details of the tripartite agreement that made the 2024 and 2028 allocation possible, with with both him and IOC President highlighting the outstanding nature of both bids and the golden opportunity they presented to the IOC.

This was followed by final presentations to the IOC by the delegations of Paris and Los Angeles, with both focusing on the new Olympic era that the allocation represented and the promise of continued cooperation between the two cities and their organizing committees.

Paris 2024

An emotional Anne Hidalgo and French IOC member Guy Drut confirmed the focus on preserving and sharing Olympic values and improving both the movement and all of Paris, France and byeonf with the hosting of the 2024 Games.

“The Olympic values will be at the heart of our common action for international solidarity with refugees, social business, education. One driving force: Paris together with Los Angeles, one catalyst: the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Together, we will speed up the reinvention of two world Cities through the power of sport and the Olympic values,” Mayor Hidalgo said, also citing the importance of climate change.

LA 2028

The Los Angeles 2028 team led by CEO Casey Wasserman emitted the relaxed confident nature the bid had been centered around from the very beginning, with Wasserman explaining the fact the majority of the bid team were in sneakers and no ties is exactly “the unique brand of California-cool that we will bring to the 2028 Games.”

Mayor Eric Garcetti highlighted the Olympic legacy Los Angeles would bring having hosted a successful previous two editions of the Games in 1932 and 1984.

“Los Angeles loves the OIympics because the Games have lifted up our city twice before. But to us the Games have always represented an even brighter future and the chance to harness the power of sport and the Olympic Movement again to inspire the next generation – for the next 11 years and beyond.”

This marks the second time that two Olympic Games were awarded in the same instance following the award of the 1924 Games to Paris and the 2028 Games to Amsterdam decided at an IOc Congress in Lausanne in 1921 by Baron Pierre de Coubertin.

Winter Olympics: IOC monitoring North Korea crisis

BERLIN – The International Olympic Committee said on Thursday it was “closely monitoring” rising tensions on the Korean peninsula, less than 200 days before the 2018 Winter Olympics are set to begin in South Korea’s Pyeongchang.

The Games return to the country next year for the first time since the 1988 summer Olympics in Seoul. But what would be the first winter Games in Asia outside Japan and the first of three consecutive Olympics on the continent risk being overshadowed by the mounting crisis involving North Korea.

The reclusive North’s apparent progress in developing nuclear weapons and missiles capable of hitting the U.S. mainland led to a war of words this week between the two countries, unnerving regional powers.

President Donald Trump said the United States would respond with “fire and fury” if North Korea threatened it. North Korea dismissed the warnings and outlined detailed plans for a missile strike near the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam.

Experts in South Korea said the plans for an attack around Guam ratcheted up risks significantly, since Washington was likely to view any missile aimed at its territory as a provocation, even if it were launched as a test.

“We are monitoring the situation on the Korean peninsula and the region very closely,” an IOC spokesperson said. “The IOC is keeping itself informed about the developments. We continue working with the organising committee on the preparations of these Games, which continue to be on track.”

South Korea had failed twice to land the winter Olympics of 2010 and 2014 but succeeded in getting the nod in 2011 for the 2018 edition, which is scheduled for Feb. 9-25.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said last month the North will be given until the last minute to decide whether it will take part in the Olympics. He wants to get North Korea involved, even though none of its athletes have met the qualification standards.
His proposal for a unified team has already been turned down by a top North Korean sports official as unrealistic in the current political climate.

(Reuters)

Belarus Olympic weightlifter faces ban over sample tampering

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) A Belarusian weightlifter who was mysteriously withdrawn from the Rio de Janeiro Olympics has been suspended for alleged ”urine substitution” in a doping sample.

The International Weightlifting Federation says Stanislav Chadovich is provisionally suspended awaiting a ruling on allegations of using substitute urine to fool a drug test.

At the Olympics, Chadovich was to compete in the men’s 62-kilogram category and was considered a potential medal winner. However, he was removed from the Belarus team at short notice with no explanation.

The IWF did not say whether the alleged offense occurred in Rio.

It comes as Belarus already faces a one-year ban from international weightlifting after several lifters failed retests of their doping samples from the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.

Pole vault record holder Yelena Isinbayeva retires from competing

Rio de Janeiro – Yelena Isinbayeva walked away from competing but not from her sport on Friday.

The women’s pole vault world record holder announced her retirement as she focuses on a new career in sports politics and considers an offer to lead Russian track and field.

Isinbayeva was prevented from seeking a third Olympic title in Rio de Janeiro after the IAAF banned all but one Russian track and field athlete from the games over their country’s state-sponsored doping scandal.

She still traveled to Rio to campaign in the election for the athletes’ representative on the International Olympic Committee. A day after being among the four winning candidates, the 34-year-old Isinbayeva decided she doesn’t want to compete anymore.

“Today in Rio on August 19 2016, Yelena Isinbayeva is finishing her professional career,” she said close to the end of a 50-minute news conference.

“Yesterday’s election to the IOC commission inspired me,” Isinbayeva added through a translator. “It means I am not saying goodbye to the sport. I say goodbye to the pole, to my medals … I fulfilled my dreams.”

And without doping, she maintains.

“I have proved it again and again,” she said. “All my tests were negative.”

One of her priorities now is campaigning for Russia’s IAAF suspension to be lifted so fellow clean athletes can resume their professional careers. Isinbayeva could be taking on that mission as the top administrator in Russian athletics.

“I have received an offer to head up the federation,” Isinbayeva said. “It is an interesting offer but it is also a serious challenge.

“When I get back from the Olympics I will meet the president of the federation. We will talk about my future role. I find it very interesting … I think I can bring the federation back into the IAAF fold.”

Isinbayeva remains aggrieved about the IAAF’s treatment of Russia. She said it “speaks volumes about the IAAF” leadership that they didn’t congratulate her for being one of four successful candidates in the IOC athletes’ commission election.

“I am a bit offended,” she said. “We are the same team … but for some reason I didn’t receive any congratulations.”

Although Isinbayeva said she forgives IAAF President Sebastian Coe for the “injustice” of banning Russia, she said: “Let it be on their conscience. God will be their judge.”

Isinbayeva also railed against the “unfair” investigations by the World Anti-Doping Agency, which has published reports in the last year by investigators Dick Pound and Richard McLaren.

“All of the accusations that have leveled have been built upon assumptions, there are no facts, no proof but for some reason (McLaren’s) assumptions were sufficient to raise the question of banning the entire Russian team (from the Olympics),” Isinbayeva said. “I would like to see more facts, more specific proof against specific athletes.”

She urged sports administrators to be “dignified” in developing sport rather than fostering “some useful war.”

Isinbayeva won gold medals at the 2004 Athens Olympics and 2008 Beijing Games. She took bronze four years ago in London and will be elsewhere in Rio rather than watching the women’s Olympic pole vault final on Friday night.

“When you compete without Isinbayeva this isn’t going to be a fully-fledged gold medal,” she said

 AP