BY ELTON LONARATHA JNR
AN award-winning female Journalist and dedicated health reporter Mavis Nishimura Podokolo has taken up a new challenge in her career as Journalist in the area of Sports media.
Ms Podokolo has falling in love with sports reporting after attending number of trainings introduced to Solomon Islands female Journalists through the Women’s In News and Sports (WINS) , an initiative of the ABC International Development.
These trainings have equipped her and built her confidence to venture into the sports reporting, a field that dominated by male Journalists.
On the 21st of July 2023 she was so fortunate to be part of the ABC International Development, FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 training program in Brisbane through the Women and News and Sports Initiative (WINS) which I’m a member of.
She said this program initially comes with serious of virtual trainings. After completing the online trainings she was selected to do further intensive training incorporated with the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 in Brisbane, Australia with 3 other female Journalists from Solomon Islands.
“I’d say I’m blessed and so fortunate to be part of this program. It is also an eye opener for me in the area of sports media. I believe so much that knowledge and skills I have acquired will enhanced my skills not only in the area sports media but other sectors inside our country,”Ms Podokolo said.
She said one of her highlight she was given the chance to interview the Captain of team France and team Brazil.
“For me this is a breakthrough in this training to have the confidence to walk straight to these two stars and asking them for an interview.
“Apart from that, I have also learnt the basics of how to use the Mobile Journalism kits to shoot videos. I have also built networks and connection with other Pacific sisters, the first nation women’s and also the different trainers and speakers.
“I’m very much looking forward to put these acquired knowledge into practice when doing news reporting,” Ms Podokolo said.
She adds covering sports for her as female would be challenging but she is willing to take up this challenge and give it a try.
“I’d say here, it is worth trying, if others can do it, we can do it too,” Ms Podokolo said.
Mavis has been in the media industry for seven years. She started her Journalism career with Sunday Isles Newspaper in 2016 and later joins Island Sun Newspaper in 2017 up until now. Ms Podokolo was recently awarded with an award on Excellence in Reporting on the Pandemic 2022 and also was awarded with the Young Journalist of the Year award by the Media Association of Solomon Islands.
She is from the beautiful Western Province in Solomon Islands
