LAUSANNE, December 5, 2023 – AIPS has today received two letters, from Ukraine and Sri Lanka, which highlight the worrying trend of sports journalists being denied access to athletes, teams and competitions. A huge threat to media freedom and independence.

UKRAINE The Ukrainian Sports Press Association (USPA) has condemned the decision of the 2023 IHF World Women's Handball Championship organising committee to bar Ukrainian journalist Igor Grachov from entering the team hotel of the Ukraine national team or even approaching the players and coaches.

“According to our information, such an appeal came from the Handball Federation of Ukraine whose leadership does not like Igor Grachov's publications,” Oleksandr Hlyvynskyi, the USPA President and AIPS Europe Executive Committee Member, wrote in a letter addressed to the Media Manager of the Championship, Sarah Munk Jørgensen. The 26th edition of the World Women's Handball Championship, jointly hosted by Denmark, Norway and Sweden, began on November 29 and will run until December 17, 2023.

In the letter, which was also sent to the AIPS President Gianni Merlo and the AIPS Europe President Charles Camenzuli, Hlyvynskyi stressed the dangers of blocking independence journalism and called for the ban on Igor Grachov to be lifted.

See the letter here.

SRI LANKA In another letter sent to the AIPS President, the President of the Professional Sports Journalists Association of Sri Lanka, Karuppiah Ramakrishnan, reported that Sri Lanka Football has banned sports journalists from covering football events in the country. Precisely, the ban is for those who continuously criticise the current executive committee of the country’s football federation led by Jaswer Umar.

“As an avid supporter of the freedom of the press and the vital role journalists play in informing the public, I find this development troubling and counterproductive to the principles of transparency and accountability,” Ramakrishnan wrote.

Ramakrishnan also emphasised that: “By restricting journalists from fulfilling their duties, we risk losing the diverse perspectives and comprehensive coverage that contribute to the richness of the sports narrative. Sports journalists should be free from undue influence or interference in their reporting. Editorial independence is crucial for maintaining the integrity of journalism.”

See the letter here.