Summary
We want to highlight the Community Champions making major contributions to grassroots sports within ethnically diverse communities. Firstly, thank The Football Association, a proud partner of the Sporting Equals Awards, who supported the night by partnering up with us, highlighting the Community Champion of the Year. Jeanette Kwakye MBE (Olympian) and Mary Tryphona who was the Middlesex FA’s recent Coach of the Year for the Disability Pathway presented the winner on the night adding to the special occasion.
We want to highlight the Community Champions making major contributions to grassroots sports within ethnically diverse communities. Firstly, thank The Football Association, a proud partner of the Sporting Equals Awards, who supported the night by partnering up with us, highlighting the Community Champion of the Year. Jeanette Kwakye MBE (Olympian) and Mary Tryphona who was the Middlesex FA’s recent Coach of the Year for the Disability Pathway presented the winner on the night adding to the special occasion.
This year we had strong nominations and narrowed it down to a very strong shortlist. The winner of the award was Akbar Khan. Akbar Khan has played an incredible role in making Bradford PHAB Club what it is today. He started attending the club as a 9-year-old to support his disabled brothers after his family was referred to PHAB Club by the local special school. When his brothers both passed away at the age of 16, he decided he would continue to give back to the community and support other disabled children for the rest of his life. He is now 59 and chairman of the club, throughout the Covid-19 lockdown he supported members, and he inspires and motivates others by taking the lead in everything that PHAB delivers to its members today.
Along with Akbar Khan, Adekanmi Abayomi and Asher Robinson, are two great candidates who also have done great work within their communities.
Adekanmi set up Ethnic Minority Sports Organisation Northern Ireland (EMSONI) in 2018 which is now the leading intercultural sport development organisation in Northern Ireland whose aim is to promote equality, diversity, and inclusion in sports. He has been able to bring out the best in the other volunteers to drive the organization, and in 2022, the organisation was awarded The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in recognition of the volunteers’ selflessness in helping others.
Asher is on a personal mission to make the sport of sailing a place where Black and Asian communities feel they belong. Facing many challenges in his progress in the sport, he has been instrumental in the creation, delivery, and refinement of the Royal Yachting Association – RYA’s East London Instructor Project, giving young people from ethnically diverse communities the training, support, and confidence to know that they too can have a place as qualified instructors and be the next generation of leaders in the sport. His work is impacting community sailing venues across the city who are welcoming instructors from a wide range of backgrounds who never previously had these opportunities.
We congratulate all our three finalists on the incredible work which they have carried out in their communities and look forward to seeing all that they achieve over the comming year.
