Award-winning Vidas Mačiulis reveals negative details: 'Everyone is envious'

Vidas Mačiulis, a veteran sports journalist with 60 years in the profession, has been honored with the Knight's Cross of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas. The award recognizes his "long, diligent, objective, and original journalistic work and active public activities."

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First and last state award in my life – the Knight's Cross of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas “For long, diligent, objective, and original journalistic work and active public activities.” Thank you to those who noticed and appreciated me. Thank you to those who congratulated and continue to congratulate… I apologize to those whom my award has upset.

Mačiulis shared his gratitude on Facebook for those who noticed and appreciated his contributions. However, he also voiced frustration regarding the perceived envy and negative reactions his award and career have generated. He specifically pointed to the Media Support Fund's expert panel, which decided not to allocate any funding to his long-running television program, "Krepšinio pasaulyje" (Basketball World), despite state funds being designated for such support.

"Everyone is envious of everything. This was proven by the 'cool five' experts from the Media Support Fund, who decided not to allocate a single euro to the longest-running TV show in Lithuania, even though the state allocated special funds for it," Mačiulis wrote. He expressed that this situation, along with the "envious and strange behavior of others," motivates him to prove he is "still undefeated."

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Everyone is envious of everything. This was proven by the 'cool five' experts from the Media Support Fund, who decided not to allocate a single euro to the longest-running TV show in Lithuania, even though the state allocated special funds for it.

The journalist, who has been in television for 58 years and with "Krepšinio pasaulyje" for 34 years, also serves as the chairman of the Kaunas district branch of the Lithuanian Journalists' Union. He questioned why, after such a long and dedicated career, he faces such obstacles and criticism.

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Know this, not this Order, but the envious and strange behavior of others now inspires me again to prove that I am still undefeated!