English sports writer hails African Sports writers

Barnaby Chesterman, a professional sports reporter who works with the APF hailed African reporters for showing commitment and enthusiasm throughout the just ended FIFA media professional training course in the Senegalese capital, Dakar.

The 33-year-old professional reporter who spent 11 years working as a sports journalist in different media outlets in England, France and Italy, was speaking to this reporter, a few hours after the completion of a week-long FIFA media training course.

Barnaby, who led a group of reporters from different countries to an intensive weeklong professional training on the ethics of sports writing, particularly football was extremely delighted at the performances of African writers, despite all the constraints confronting them.

"Since the first day of the training session, I can see a sign of commitment and readiness in them, and above all I found them very receptive to new ideas and I was also so much impressed by their enthusiasm and willingness to learn," he said.

Barnaby who advised the participants to continue reading harder, said the two crucial areas that’s lacking with most of African reporters is how to construct a story, as well as their level of English. But he was quick to admit that if only they work hard on these two areas they will soon catch up with other leading journalists in the world.

"I hope each and every participant would think more about their work in terms of reporting, the AFP Sports Editor was quoted as saying by our reporter who returned from Dakar on Saturday."

This, he believes, will surely help participants to have a wider knowledge on professional reporting when the world’s most prestigious tournament kick-off in South Africa in June.

Barnaby started his journalistic career in 1999 as a freelance reporter, covering Judo in England.

He moved to work with Business Magazine in Dubai, before shifting to Kent Messenger, a local newspaper as a news reporter in 2000.

The English sports reporter who has accumulated a wealth of experience in sports reporting began working for the AFP in 2006.

He is currently based in Rome, Italy where he continues working for the AFP, which is among the three (3) biggest media agencies in the world.