Shyamhari Chakra
Odisha-born annual Ekamra Sports Literature Festival – billed as one of the world’s celebrated events of its kind that brings sports writers-journalists-commentators of the world together – is set for inauguration in Canada’s Ontario city today.
Into its third edition, the festival was launched in Odisha’s capital city of Bhubaneswar in 2018 with patronage of Odisha State Government. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had inaugurated it.
Bhubanerswar was known as Ekamra-Kshetra is ancient times.
The first edition, spread over two days, had showcased 12 sessions with 50 speakers besides book-launch sessions. The participants had included former Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson, hockey exponent Ric Charlesworth, multiple gold-medal-winning Olympic swimmer Stephanie Rice, fast-bowling legend Jeff Thomson, Indian Test batsman Ajinkya Rahane and former Test player Mohammed Kaif.
The second edition of the event moved to India’s national capital last year. The two-day festival in New Delhi featured 13 sessions with 17 eminent speakers. It also witnessed launch of Sports Book Awards in six categories – Sports Book of the Year, Outstanding Sports Book, Autobiography of the Year, Biography of the Year, Cricket Book of the Year and Best Sports Book Publisher of the Year.
The highlights of the third edition in Canada include participation of Olympic gold medallist Sami jo Small with her forthcoming book “The Role I Played: Canada’s Greatest Olympic Hockey Team”; “The Thin White Line: The Inside Story of Cricket’s Greatest Scandals” authored by Nick Greenslade, the deputy sports editor of The Times, London.
It further features “1982 Brazil, A Glorious Failure” by Stuart Horsfield that looks at the story of one of the greatest sports teams ever that never won; panel discussion on “Gender Inequity in Sport” moderated by two-time Olympic speed-skater and CBC Sports host Anastasia Bucsis.
“Sports are universal and express so many aspects of the human condition. It is wonderful to be able to bring the festival to Canada, home to so many sports greats and so many terrific authors”, stated Sundeep Misra, founder and director of the festival.
Acclaimed author, filmmaker and journalist, Misra has penned two books on Indian hockey that includes biography of hockey legend Dhanraj Pillay apart from India’s first Anthology on Sports writing namely “The Best of Indian Sports Writing”. He has also produced a film on 1964 Olympic gold medallist Prithipal Singh.
