Sporting Equals earmarks autumn diversity event

Pro-diversity body Sporting Equals is lining up a follow-up event to its 2014 Leaderboard session where it was revealed that only 3 per cent of board members in sport were from ethnic backgrounds.

Arun Kang, the body’s chief executive, said that Sporting Equals was eyeing an autumn date for the event in which it would release updated figures and an infographic in the presence of governing bodies and industry figures.

Talking to Sports Management before Sporting Equals’ second annual British Ethnic Diversity Sports Awards (BEDSA) in London, Kang said that the meeting would also include black, Asian and ethnic minority professionals and governing bodies “talking about pilot projects” which had been implemented in the aftermath of the event 18 months ago.

During the 2014 event hosted at the House of Lords in November 2014, Sporting Equals presented audit data which showed that only 14 BAME individuals sat on the boards of 45 national governing bodies, out of 449 places.

Following the event a steering group was set up to create a number of pilot projects to increase BAME representation across the board at sporting organisations. Kang said that although “the figures hadn’t improved” in the year since Leaderboard, there was now a “commitment from governing bodies coming forward to embrace this agenda”.

“We can’t say there’s not commitment, there is commitment,” he said. “It’s just that we need to help sporting bodies set up the right processes and talk about what projects might work.”

Kang said Sporting Equals’ advice on recruitment, coaching and the implementation of the pilot schemes – as well as recognition in the form of the BEDSA Awards – would help improve diversity at the top end of sport in the coming years.

“The awards are all about role models, whether it’s grassroots individuals, elite athletes or governing bodies,” he said. “For me it’s about raising the profile of sport and raising the opportunities that BAME people can have in sport at leadership level.”

Winners of the BEDSA Awards 2016

Youth Sport Trust Young Sports Person of the Year: Easah Suliman

Jaguar Unsung Hero: Raza Sadiq

University of Leicester Special Recognition Award: Paul Elliott

The Professional Footballers Association Coach of the Year: Siva Ramasamy

UK Sport Inspirational Performance of the Year: Rachel Choong

Sport England Community Sports Project: Swim Dem Crew

Tennis Foundation Special Recognition Award: Rashida Salloo

Sporting Equals Lifetime Achievement Award: Frank Bruno

SE Leaderboard Sportswoman of the Year: Jess Ennis-Hill

Lycamobile Sportsman of the Year: Lewis Hamilton