London’s Sports Stars Isa Guha and Jesse Mander are winners at the Change4Life British Asian Sports

The winners of the Change4Life British Asian Sports Awards were revealed at a gala event at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London on Saturday 6th February. 

 The awards ceremony, hosted by ‘Eastender’ Nitin Ganatra and ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ star Laila Rouass, once again honoured the achievements and contributions of the best in British Asian sporting talent.  This year’s awards were partnered for the first time with Change4Life, the groundbreaking movement which supports families to ‘eat well, move more and live longer’ Guha was recognised for becoming an established England International cricketer and playing an integral role as a member of the World Cup Winning team last year. She was up against some fierce competition from Badminton player, Rajiv Ouseph, the National Men’s Singles title holder and Tajiv Masson, the first ever British Asian to represent England and a Premiership Rugby Union club. 

Rugby player Jesse Mander was also awarded junior sports personality of the year (male). In just three short years, he has represented England at Rugby Union with the U13 barbarians, as well as the county of Middlesex. He was up against tough competition from Cricket player Junaid Nadir, who holds title for the UK’S fastest under 12’s and under 15’s bowler and Kick boxer Hassan Ali the first British Asian to have reached the European Level representing England. Joining the winners and nominees to show their support on the night were British Asian Sports Awards ambassadors and former recipients of the awards, Amir Khan and Mark Ramprakash.

The star-studded event also attracted high profile guests including former tennis player and previous Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Vijay Amritraj and actors Colin Salmon, Nina Wadia and Himesh Patel.  Show-stopping performances from MOBO award-winning rapper, Chipmunk, and stunning girl band, The Saturdays and Brit-Asian singing sensation Navin Kundra rounded off the evening while the charity auction raised thousands for The British Asian Trust.  

The British Asian Sports Awards partnership with Change4Life aims to increase awareness of the importance of eating well and moving more amongst the South Asian community, where some obesity related illnesses, such as type 2 Diabetes, are higher than the national average. 

The Change4Life British Asian Sports Awards will be broadcast globally on Sony Entertainment Television Asia in April 2010.

Change4Life British Asian Sports Awards:  The winners this year included:  

• Change4Life Sports Personality of the Year

o    Isa Guha, Cricket, London

• HSBC Young Sports Personality of the Year

o    Viroshan Gnanapandithan, Taekwondo, Essex

• Shana Foods Junior Sports Personality of the Year (under 18, male)

o    Jesse Mander, Rugby, London

• Unison Junior Sports Personality of the Year (under 18, female)

o    Riana Devi Soobadoo, Womens Senior Football, Essex

• Cobra Beer Most Up and Coming Sports Personality of the Year

o    Raj Hundal, Middlesex, Professional Pool

• Anand Hyundai International Outstanding Achievement Award

o    Salma Bi, Cricket, Birmingham

• Emerald Knight Community Business in Sport

o    Amit Bhatia, Football, Queen Park Rangers

• Astra Lifetime Achievement Award

o    Arjuna Ranatunga, Former Sri Lankan cricketer and politician

• Madhu’s Coach of the Year

o    Sivakumar Renganathan, Taekwondo, Essex

• Genesis Networks International Sports Personality of the Year

o    Saina Nehwal

• Here & Now 365 Ltd Champaign Moment of the Year

o     Amir Khan, Boxing WBA World light-welterweight champion              

Sponsors on the night include: 

·         Change4Life – British Asian Sports Personality of the Year

·        HSBC- Young Sports Personality of the Year

·         Shana Foods – Junior Sports Personality of the Year Male

·         Unison  – Junior Sports Personality of the Year Female

·         Cobra Beer – Most Up and Coming Sports Personality of the Year

·         Anand Hyundai International – Outstanding Achievement Award

·         Emerald Knight – Community Business in Sport·         ASTRA (GB) – Lifetime Achievement Award

·         Madhu’s  – Coach of the Year

·         Genesis – International Sports Personality of the Year

·         Here & Now – Champagne Moment of the Year 

The Judges for the British Asian Sports Awards this year are: 

·         Mark Ramprakash – BASA Ambassador and former English cricketer.

·         Mihir Bose – Evening Standard Sports Contributor

·         Rajan Singh – Executive Vice-President – International Business  for Sony Entertainment Network

·         Tracy Edwards (MBE) – the skipper of the first all female crew to sail around the world in the Whitbread Round the World Yacht

·         Denise Lewis (OBE) – Olympic Gold medallist

·         Lorraine Deschamps – Trustee of Sporting Equals 

Change4Life  Change4Life is an ambitious new movement that will help mums, dads and families eat well, move more and live longer and was launched on 3 January 2009. The aim of the campaign is to halt the rising tide of obesity. Under the banner of Change4Life, the Government is galvanising support from everyone in the country from grass roots organisations to leading supermarkets and charities.  

If current trends continue, by 2050 only one in ten of the adult population will be a healthy weight and the cost to the NHS and society could reach £50 billion. 

The British Asian Trust   The British Asian Trust was founded in July, 2007 by a group of British Asian business leaders at the suggestion of HRH, The Prince of Wales. The Trust aims to serve as a ‘social fund’ in support of high impact charities within the areas of education, enterprise and health in South Asia (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan & Sri Lanka) and the UK.  The British Asian Trust has a particular focus on researching, identifying, and financially supporting its chosen projects.  

Sporting Equals  Sporting Equals exists to promote ethnic diversity across sport and physical activity, and is the only organisation in the UK to do so.  Set up in 1998 by Sport England, in partnership with the Commission for Racial Equality, but now an independent body, it aims to inform, influence and inspire in order to create an environment in which BME communities can influence and participate in all aspects of sport and physical activity.