Story of 45 Days in Downunder

1. Story of 45 Days in Downunder The story of 45 days in land Downunder Story of 45 Days in Downunder By: Maryam SabZali Iranian Sport Press Association

2. I would like to begin with condolences on behalf of myself, the Iranian Sports Journalists Association and my country, Iran, to all who are hosting this congress, the Beijing Olympic Games Organizing Committee, the Chinese Sport Press Association and to the survivors of the recent earthquake in Sichuan province.

3. I wish to thank AIPS, special thanks to Gianni Merlo the president and the AIPS EC members for paying attention to young sport journalists education. As someone who has enjoyed such a valuable opportunity, I wish this kind of experience and education will be provided for other young sport journalists by AIPS and the Continental Associations.

4. Many thanks to Roslyn Morris, the hard working and determined executive editor of AIPS Magazine who warmly hosted and supported the first two scholarship recipients while I did not know until the last moment that I owe parts of my happiness and the great experience of improving English language skills in TAFE Hunter Institute to her.

5. I am happy that as the first AIPS/English+ Further Study Downunder English language scholarship recipient (along with Frank Marin Vergara from Cuba), spent four weeks in the Hunter TAFE (Institute of Technical and Further Education) in the city of Newcastle, on the coast north of Sydney, to improve listening and speaking skills while actually it was much more than that and now I am here representing young sports journalists, female journalists and also Iranian female journalists.

6. Going to Australia, the country famed for its young, friendly, colorful population and multi cultural society , beautiful beaches, skilful actors and actress, professional footballers, the cricket lovers, and unusual animals, was a valued opportunity for me to become familiar to a new world, to learn more about my host country and other various cultures from the colorful classmates who were once described as a “United Nations” by Frank.

8. The string of events began during the first days I was in Newcastle, especially when Australian prime minister, Kevin Rudd, apologized to the Aboriginal people for injustices committed over two centuries of white settlement. To celebrate this Aboriginal dancers at TAFE Hunter Institute celebrated the apology on 12 February.

9. Aboriginal Dancers in TAFE

10. On February 16, after I put the story of aboriginal dancers on the AIPS website, I was interviewed by Tracey Holmes, the lovely host of the Australian Broadcasting Commission's national weekend sports show, Grandstand,

11. and it was through her and Roslyn Morris’ efforts that we (with Frank) were honored to watch the last Sydney appearance of legend Adam Gilchrist in a One-Day International cricket match against India.

12. On the same afternoon, we went next door to the Sydney Football Stadium where thousands of faithful Australian fans were cheering for the “Golden Boys" of the my adopted home – the Newcastle Jets in the A League grand final soccer championship against Central Coast Mariners. • The drama – charged 1-0 win saw the Jets amongst the best in the AFC Champions League.

13. Newcastle Jets v Central Coast Mariners

14. I met Tracey in the headquarters building of the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) in a suburb called Ultimo. So we wasted no time touring every floor of the newly-combined home of ABC television and radio.

15. My presence at Newcastle was not just an opportunity to improve upon the language skills but I also experienced living and dreaming English;

16. a language that truly is unique and the most spoken language in the world of sports and could be called the instrument of intercultural communication.

17. Sports, contrary to all other aspects of society such as economy, politic sand government which are too divergent, has the same culture and rules all over the world; laws are followed every where without any pressure from governments or army forces. Everybody whether white or colored, secular or faithful, have the same perception of "Fair Play". The most popular sports like soccer are recognized as the best ground to promote unity against racism, poverty, illiteracy, epidemic diseases…

18. So the globalized world of sport needs a global language and requires well-educated young journalists to promote values of peace, fair play and equality.It should be believed that sport is not the ground of political tension.

19. I am very proud that as a representative of female sport journalists, I was the spokesperson over there and now here. There are a considerable number of women working in Iranian sports press and doing sports at both the domestic and international level. It’s also a big pleasure that Muslim women’s participation in international events such as the Olympics and world championships is increasing every year, so for the first time in the history of Iranian sports, women from my country gained qualification to Olympic Taekwondo and canoe, while we previously depended on wild cards; so I wish such advancements continues in future.

20. On behalf of the Executive Committee of Iran Sport Journalist Association, I appreciate AIPS special care about our Association activities. As you all know, the Iranian NSJA is the third Asian country with the largest number of AIPS cards and around 800 active members in local sports media that amongst them are a considerable number of female sport journalists. The Association of Iran recently has reached agreements with some universities and colleges to teach young sport journalist at both graduate and masters levels. Additionally, our Association is collaborating with the ASPU and the Organizing Committee of the 2th Islamic Solidarity Games 2009, is going to organize the 1st Asian Young Sports Journalists Seminar in Tehran in November 2008.

21. Thank you all Thank you all