Jonas Edward Salk, an American virologist and medical researcher, is famous for having developed one of the first successful polio vaccines used worldwide.
Salk is also popular in the scholarly field for the remarkable quote; “The reward for work well done is the opportunity to do more”.
Like Salk, the Uganda Sports Press Association (USPA) has rejuvenated their own awards tagged as the “Media Excellence Awards” as a way to ‘pay back’ the sports journalists for the work executed over the years.
These awards will take place in Mid-December 2021 as confirmed at a press briefing held at the Copper Chimney Restaurant, Lugogo in Kampala on 1st November.
This brief but immensely rich presser was graced by the USPA President Patrick Kanyomozi, flanked by the vice president Leone Ssenyange and organizing secretary Solomon Ssaka.
The USPA Media Excellence Awards are back to reward the sports journalists who have done well. The entries start 1st to 10th November 2021 (11 PM). There will be three nominees per catergory and only one winner will be announced in December 2021 (date to be confirmed). Such awards are a way of rewarding our own as well as preparing Uganda’s sports journalists for the world-wide AIPS awards.
Patrick Kanyomozi, President – Uganda Sports Press Association (USPA)
There are eight awards in total; seven of which will be vied for and one will be decided by USPA Executive (Andrew Luwandagga Award – Lifetime in Service).
The seven other awards categories include; The Bashir Khan Lugodo Award – Best Sports Feature (TV, Radio, Print, and Online), James Opoka Award – Best Sports News Report (Radio and TV), Edirisa Mayanja Njuki Award – Best Sports News Report (Print), John Bugembe Ssenkugube Award – Best Sports Photograph, Samuel Wossita Award – Best Digital Sports Production (Websites, E-Journals, Podcasts), Kevin Aliro Award – Investigate Sports Report and Paul Waibale Snr Award – Sports Column Writing.
The association vice president Ssenyange elucidated that the awards were named after the fallen USPA sports comrades as a means of recognizing their legacies and special works executed back then.
The Uganda Sports Press Association (USPA) seeks entries to the Media Excellence Awards, which recognize outstanding sports reporting in Uganda. Eight categories have been listed for this year. However, only seven categories shall require submission of work. The categories have been named after our departed colleagues as a mark of respect for their contribution towards sports journalism.
Leone Ssenyange, Vice President – Uganda Sports Press Association (USPA)
Submissions officially commenced on Monday 1, November 2021, and will end on Wednesday 10 November 2021 at 23:00hrs.
Entries shall be judged on at least three sports reports published or broadcast between November 1, 2020 and October 31, 2021.
“We encourage all members of the association and other sports journalists to participate by submitting their work. Only three (3) nominees shall be named per category and only one will be announced winner at a ceremony in December 2021. The winner will receive a custom-designed plaque and a cash prize,” Ssenyange added.
These awards join the annual USPA gala and Road Safety week among the other activities organized by the Uganda Sports Press Association.
Long-term USPA partner Nile Breweries Limited under the brand; Nile Special is already part of the awards team with other partners expected to join the bandwagon.
Of course; USPA is rewarding their own in respect of Naveen Patnaik’s words “There is a great deal of reward when you do good work and people see how successful that work is and the happiness it them.”
The USPA Media Excellence Awards 2021 Categories:
- The Bashir Khan Lugodo Award – Best Sports Feature (TV, Radio, Print and Online)
- James Opoka Award – Best Sports News Report (Radio and TV)
- Edirisa Mayanja Njuki Award – Best Sports News Report (Print)
- John Bugembe Ssenkugube Award – Best Sports Photograph
- Samuel Wossita Award – Best Digital Sports Production (Websites, E-Journals, Podcasts)
- Kevin Aliro Award – Investigate Sports Report
- Paul Waibale Snr Award – Sports Column Writing
- Andrew Luwandagga Award – Lifetime in Service