A Historic 1,000-Match Milestone: SASJA honors cricket legends and media icons in a night of elegance
By Nawaz Gohar ; It is a rare spectacle when the titans of the pitch and the maestros of the press box unite under the floodlights to celebrate history.
Such was the atmosphere at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, where the South Asian Sports Journalists Association (SASJA) hosted a beautifully curated, high-profile ceremony.
The occasion marked Pakistan’s monumental milestone of playing 1,000 One Day International (ODI) matches, while simultaneously honoring the lifework of individuals who have shaped the country’s sporting landscape.
Orchestrated seamlessly under the leadership of SASJA Founding President Asghar Ali Mubarak, the evening masterfully bridged the gap between raw athletic legacy and the journalists who document it.
Gracing the event as Chief Guest was none other than the legendary 1992 World Cup champion and master commentator, Ramiz Raja, whose presence added a layer of nostalgic prestige to the historic venue.
The evening’s highest accolades—the special ‘Milestone’ Excellence Awards—were presented to the visionary leaders and cultural icons driving the game forward.
Federal Minister and PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi was awarded a special shield for his transformative contributions to modernizing cricket infrastructure. As Chairman Naqvi was currently in Saudi Arabia performing Hajj, a PCB representative accepted the honor on his behalf.
The crowd erupted in applause as Ramiz Raja received his commemorative shield, recognizing his lifelong tenure as a global ambassador for Pakistan cricket.
Not to be forgotten was the soul of Pakistan’s stadium culture: the iconic ‘Chacha Cricket’. He was presented with a lifetime dedication award for waving the green-and-white crescent flag across global stadiums for decades without demand or fatigue.
The emotional centerpiece of the evening belonged exclusively to the press fraternity. In a deeply moving segment, Pakistan’s veteran sports journalist, Abdul Mohi Shah, was presented with a Special Excellence Award. The honor celebrated both his lifelong career in sports writing and his recent, highly deserved civil accolade—the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz—conferred by the Government of Pakistan.
Chief Guest Ramiz Raja took the podium to deliver a stirring tribute to Shah, underlining how crucial veteran journalists are to archiving the nation’s sporting history. When Abdul Mohi Shah stepped up to receive his shield, his acceptance speech resonated deeply through the hall:
“This award does not belong to me alone. It belongs to every single one of you. It is a collective testament to the sweat and dedication of our entire journalistic community.”
Echoing this sentiment, Abubakar Bin Talat, President of the Rawalpindi Islamabad Sports Journalists Association (RISJA), formally thanked the state for recognizing sports journalism at the highest governmental tier.
In a poignant address, SASJA Founding President Asghar Ali Mubarak reminded the audience that sports journalists are the ultimate custodians of Pakistan’s soft image on the global stage.
He paid an emotional, respectful tribute to departed media legends, including Mohammad Anis, Imran Naeem Ahmad, Makhdoom Babar, Farhana Ayaz Khan, and the late icons Qamar Saeed Zaidi, Syed Muslehuddin, and Farooq Mazhar, ensuring their contributions to the craft are never forgotten.
The ceremony concluded with a vibrant networking session and a collective pledge among attendees—including prominent media figures, sports administrators, and rising journalists—to continue elevating Pakistani sports reporting to elite international standards.
It was more than an awards night; it was a profound reaffirmation that while players make history on the field, it is the writers who make that history immortal.
