‘I was clear from day one that I want to enter the sports field’

Driven by a clear passion for sports journalism and a determination to turn his dream into reality, Gaurav Singh Sikarwar of Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication (AIMC), Dwarka  successfully secured placement as an Assistant Producer at the digital sports news platform, Sports Yaari. For Gaurav, this achievement marks the beginning of a journey he envisioned from the very beginning of his academic life.

Having always aspired to build a career in sports journalism, Gaurav remained focused on his goal despite knowing the challenges associated with the field. Reflecting on his placement journey, he shared, “I always wanted to go into sports journalism. I was quite nervous before the interview, but it went smoothly. I felt really good that I got placed in one of the best sports news digital platforms, Sports Yaari, as an Assistant Producer.”

His interest in sports journalism stemmed from his deep passion for sports and his constant curiosity about ongoing developments in the sporting world. Gaurav explained that staying updated on current events in sports played an important role in strengthening his understanding of the industry. “I was always interested in what is going on in sports currently and how passionate I am about it,” he said.

While pursuing his studies, Gaurav made conscious efforts to prepare himself for the highly competitive media and sports broadcasting industry. He credits his institute for helping him develop essential technical and professional skills that are now proving valuable in his workplace. According to him, practical exposure to tools and technologies significantly enhanced his confidence and preparedness for the role.

“I learned a lot of things from the institute, including camera handling, Adobe Premiere, and Photoshop, which I use at my job on a daily basis,” he shared. He further acknowledged the continuous support of faculty members, adding, “All the faculty members are good. They helped me become more confident and taught me how to handle pressure situations by giving us different tasks.”

Speaking about cracking interviews and preparing for placements, Gaurav believes confidence and clarity of purpose are more important than any one specific skill. He encouraged aspiring media professionals to first identify what they truly want and then align their preparation accordingly.

“There is no specific skill. If you are confident about what you want to do, you can crack the interview. Firstly, just make up your mind—yes, I want this job, I’ll do great here—and then prepare yourself accordingly,” he advised.

Gaurav also revealed that he was certain about pursuing sports journalism from day one, despite understanding that opportunities for freshers in the sports media industry are often limited. “I was clear from day one that I wanted to go into the sports field, and I also knew there are very few chances because not many channels give freshers the opportunity. But I prepared myself in that way and kept following what was happening in the sports world,” he said.

Looking ahead, Gaurav envisions an exciting future for himself in the global sports media landscape. “Most probably, I see myself working with a big sports broadcasting channel, covering sports all around the world,” he said confidently, reflecting both ambition and dedication toward his long-term goals.