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MILESTONES
ICELAND
Bjarni Fel, former chairman of Iceland Association
of Sports Journalists, passes away
Bjarni Felixson, former sports re- porter for the Norwegian Broad- casting Corporation and former chairman of the Association of Sports Journalists in Iceland, died on September 14, 2023 at the age of 86.
Born on December 27, 1936. Bja- rni played football with a good rep- utation, winning six caps for the Iceland national team. He played for Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur for several seasons, winning the national championship five times and the Icelandic Cup seven times. Following his playing ca- reer, he became a sports reporter and commentator for RÚV for 42 years. He started working at RÚV in 1969 as a part-time commen- tator for broadcasts of Premier League matches. From 1972, he became a full-time employee of RÚV as a sports reporter, and held that position for 40 years. He became a nationally known sports reporter who paved the way for those who came after in the pro- fession. Bjarni was the chairman of the Association of Sports Jour- nalists between 1978 and 1980. He died in Copenhagen, where he was to attend the funeral of his great friend Finn Heiner, who was the sports director of the Danish National Broadcasting Company for a long time.
Bjarni Felixson, 1936-2023
POLAND
Polish Sports Writers Association mourns passing of legendary journalist Tadeusz Arpad Olszański
By Jerzy Jakobsche On Sep- tember 22, 2023, Tadeusz Arpad Olszański, an outstanding sports journalist and reporter, boasting six Olympic Games, died in Piaseczno. He was 94 years old.
In 2021, Olszański was recognised as the best journalist on the occa- sion of the 100th anniversary of the publication of "Przegląd Sportowy", organised by the Polish Sports Writ- ers Association (KDS).
He was born on August 28, 1929 in Stanisławów. In the fall of 1943, his family moved to Hungary, and he
attended the Polish high school in Balatonboglar.
Then the next stage of life began. In Opole, where his family settled after the war, he passed his high school final exams and then, in 1952, the Faculty of Journalism at the University of Warsaw.
For many years he headed the sports department of "Sztandar Młodych", he was deputy editor-in-chief of "Sportowiec", deputy editor-in-chief of the sports editorial office of TVP, and also headed the Olympic depart- ment of the National Publishing House (KAW).
The action he initiated in 1963 in "Sztandar Młodych" in connection with the increasing brutality in sports and the nomination of the most gen- tlemanly athlete (boxer Zbigniew Pietrzykowski – silver Olympic medal Rome 1960) gave rise, not only in Poland, but also internationally, to the idea of promoting the principles of fair play.
Olszański's reports from the Games were full of extremely interesting information describing the careers and tragedies of outstanding Olym- pians, from Paavo Nurmi, Janusz Kusociński, Jesse Owens and Carl Lewis, which he described in "A Personal History of the Olympics". Olszański's next passion was Hungarian literature, he translated over forty novels and dramas, including the extremely popular novel for young people "Chłopcy z Placu Broni" by Ferenc Molnar.
For four years until 1990, he was the director of the Polish Cultural Centre in Budapest, and in the years 1990-1994 he was a corre- spondent of Polish Radio and Television in Hungary and Yugoslavia. Then, until the end of his professional career, he worked with the week- ly "Polityka", collaborating as a sports journalist, and also commented on matters related to events in Hungary and the Balkan countries.
In the book "Kresy Kresów Stanisławów" Olszański returned to his roots, i.e. to the third city of Galicia - Stanisławów - after Kraków and Lwów.
In his last book "It was, it passed, it stayed in memory" published in 2022, he wrote: "I lived for writing and writing. I was a journalist, not only a sports one, but also a translator of Hungarian literature, a radio and television correspondent, but overall, probably the most, writer."
He cooperated with the editorial offices of "Dookoła Świata", "Boks", "Perspektywy", "Szpilki", "Zdrowie", "Gentleman" and "Uroda".
He received the UNESCO Fair Play award for the book "Czysta Gra" writ- ten with Jan Lis. His countless honours also include the Olympic Laurel of the Polish Olympic Committee. Olszański was also the winner of the "Golden Pen" Award of the Polish Sports Writers Association in 1971.
Tadeusz Arpad Olszański
NIGERIA
Ignatius Ajuonoma
Lagos SWAN mourns Ignatius Ajuonoma
By Oni Afolabi The Execu- tive and members of the Lagos Sports Writers Association, led by its chairman, Debo Oshund- un, are mourning the sad and sudden departure of one of its members, Ignatius Ajuonuma. Reacting to the news, Oshund- un expressed shock over the demise of the remarkable and dedicated sports reporter who worked with Daar Communi- cations, the owners of AIT and Raypower. He described his journey through life as an inspir- ing tale of unwavering determi- nation, resilience, and passion. The Lagos SWAN chairman not- ed that Ajuonuma’s exceptional talent and tenacity in the face of adversity endeared him to col- leagues, peers, and countless admirers.
“Ignatius Ajuonuma 's work in sports reporting was not only a testament to his professionalism but also a symbol of hope and inspiration for Persons with Dis- abilities (PwDs) or other individ- uals facing general or peculiar challenges.”
Oshundun on behalf of Lagos SWAN expressed his gratitude to the National body of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria led by Isaiah Benjamin and the Minister of Sports, Senator John Enoh, for their swift response during this difficult time.
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PHOTO BY RUV/BARÐI STEFÁNSSON