LINFORD CHRISTIE AND CINDY NGAMBA AMONG FORMER, CURRENT AND GRASSROOTS SPORTING STARS HONOURED AT 2024 SPORTING EQUALS AWARDS
- The UK wide charity’s annual award ceremony celebrated the positive impact that ethnically diverse athletes and organisations have had on the sports industry this year
- Legendary British Sprinter Christie was awarded the Sporting Equals Lifetime Achievement Award for his commitment to supporting diverse communities throughout his career
- Olympians Samuel Reardon and first refugee medallist Cindy Ngamba won the Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Awards
5th October, London – Sporting Equals, an independent body that champions race equality in sport, have today hosted the 2024 Sporting Equals Awards at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London, to celebrate the contributions made by ethnically diverse people and communities across the sport and physical activity sector.
On a night of celebration, former Olympic 100m champion and the most decorated British sprinter of all-time Linford Christie was awarded the Sporting Equals Lifetime Achievement Award, a testament to his commitment to supporting diverse communities and inspiring the next generations of sportspeople. One of Linford’s proudest achievements has been creating the youth engagement programme ‘Street Athletics’ with fellow athlete, Darren Campbell, which ran for over 12 years and has discovered talented young people.
Hosted by comedian and TV personality Judi Love, the awards put a focus on both elite and grassroots sport – celebrating achievements and profiling ethnically diverse role models. The awards also put the spotlight on the challenges that are still faced across the sport sector and the action required to tackle such issues.
In 2024, awards were given in a record 12 categories, ranging from celebrating community projects and heroes to honouring achievements at the elite level of sport. Headline award winners include:
Cindy Ngamba was recognised as the first refugee athlete to win an Olympic medal with HewardMills Sportswoman of the Year. The award celebrated her exceptional example of overcoming adversity and winning bronze in the women’s 75 kg boxing competition in Paris this year.
Following his success in Paris this summer, Olympian Samuel Reardon won the Sixes Social Cricket Sportsman of the Year. Reardon was a late call up for Team GB’s 4x400m squad following a team member’s injury, and he played a vital role in securing two bronze medals in the men’s 4x400m relay and mixed 4x400m relay.
Frank Bruno MBE was recognised on the night for his outstanding contribution to promoting mental wellbeing with the Peloton “Game Changer” Award. As a former world heavyweight boxing champion, Bruno has used his platform to openly share his own battles with mental health, helping to destigmatise mental illness, particularly in the world of sports.
As well as awarding success for elite athletes, the Sporting Equals Awards celebrate those who have had a resounding impact at a grassroots level. Akbar Khan was awarded the FA Community Champion of the Year Award for his inspirational efforts in championing disabled children at the PHAB Club in Bradford for over 40 years. Akbar started attending the club as a nine-year-old to support his disabled brothers.
The awards were delivered in collaboration with Sport England to support the ‘Uniting the Movement’ strategy, which aims to tackle racism within sport. Key governing bodies and organisations in the industry including England Athletics, The FA, Mind, Swim England, The LTA Tennis Foundation, Peloton and Youth Sport Trust all supported the awards.
Arun Kang OBE, Chief Executive of Sporting Equals said: “We are delighted to have hosted the Awards in partnership with Sport England once again. It is great to bring together some of the most influential people, organisations and stakeholders in the sport and leisure industry to celebrate and raise awareness for the efforts in tackling racial inequality.”
“Following a summer of social unrest in the UK, the Sporting Equals Awards come at a critical time for race inequality. We feel strongly that sport plays a vital role in creating change in society and bringing communities together. The award entries that we received really highlighted the change that is needed and also being made by our winners. Congratulations to all the winners for their outstanding contributions to society.”
The full list of awards and winners for 2024 includes:
- Sixes Social Cricket Sportsman of the Year – Samuel Reardon
- HewardMills Sportswoman of the Year – Cindy Ngamba
- Sporting Equals LeaderBoard Sports Organisation of the Year – GB Taekwondo
- Sporting Equals Lifetime Achievement Award – Linford Christie
- England Athletics Coach of the Year – Harley Hicks
- UK Sport Rising Star of the Year – Funmi Oduwaiye
- Youth Sport Trust Young Sportsperson of the Year – Kai Hockley
- Sport England Sports Project of the Year – The Flowhesion Foundation (Halliwell Girls Sports Hub)
- The FA Community Champion of the Year – Akbar Khan
- Mind Wellbeing Award – BEAP Community Partnership Sports Organisation of the Year Award
- LTA Tennis Foundation Community Tennis Award – Black Tennis Mentors
- Peloton Gamechanger Award – Frank Bruno MBE
- Swim England Aquatics Champion – Swim Design Space
For more information about the work Sporting Equals are doing and how to get involved please visit: https://www.sportingequals.org.uk/
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Notes to editors
Sporting Equals promotes race equality across sport and physical activity. It is a fully independent body and a national partner of Sport England and Sport Scotland. Headline projects delivered by Sporting Equals include the Race Representation Index, the Race Discrimination Support Service and the Sporting Equals Awards. Sporting Equals five targeted outcomes are: Increasing Participation, Identifying and Showcasing Talent, Diversifying Sport Sector, Improving Health & Lifestyles and Building Cohesive Communities.
Sporting Equals Awards were founded in 2015 and formerly known as the British Ethnic Diversity Sports Awards. The awards exist to celebrate the achievements of race equity in sports, acknowledge the contributions made by ethnically diverse communities, and to inspire the next generation.
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