Sabanayakan started his sports journalistic career in 1980 in Kolkata with Indian Express as a trainee. After working for 5 years, he moved over to The Telegraph, a local English daily newspaper as senior sports reporter in 1985 and served the organisation for a decade before switching over to the National English daily, The Hindu, as a Special Correspondent (Sport) in 1995.

The newspaper promoted him as Senior Assistant Editor (Sport) and later as Deputy Editor (Sport).

Later Sabanayakan joined the newly launched English newspaper in Kolkata, Eastern Chronicle, as its Sports Editor in 2018. At present he is the newspaper’s Editor.

Sabanayakan’s association with sports journalists’ organisation began in 1983 when he joined the Calcutta Sports Journalists Club in Kolkata and rose to become its Assistant Secretary in 1987. He was elected as its Secretary in 1990-91 and its President in 2008. He laid down office in 2015.

The Calcutta Sports Journalists’ Club, the club sent him to the National federation, the Sports Journalists’ Federation of India (SJFI) in 1990-91, where he became a member of the Executive Committee.

Sabanayakan was elected as the Secretary General of the SJFI in 1996 for a two-year term. Earlier he served the federation as its treasurer. He was promoted to be one of the Vice-Presidents in the SJFI and held the post till 2008 when he was elected as SJFI President. He held the post for two two-year terms and stepped down in 2012.

The SJFI Executive Council created a special post and elevated him to be the Chairman, International Relations, the post he holds till date.

The post ensured that he will represent the SJFI in AIPS and AIPS ASIA and to liason with the World and  Continental bodies on a regular basis.

Sabanayakan was elected as the Vice- President of AIPS ASIA in Islamabad in 2017. He was re-elected to the post in Rome in 2022.

He contributed meaningfully to AIPS ASIA as a member of a five-member committee to probe financial irregularities in 2016-2017. When AIPS ASIA restarted its website he was made the Executive Editor and provided its content. He assisted the Secretary General in bringing out the first edition of the AIPS ASIA magazine by editing most of the articles.

He is ever willing to take up any responsibility for AIPS and AIPS ASIA.