Aneela Rose is a World & British Powerlifting Champion, Team GB gold medallist and multi-award-winning business leader. Competing at the highest level of international sport, she has consistently challenged expectations, proving that discipline, resilience and belief can redefine what’s possible.

Alongside her sporting success, Aneela is the founder of Rose Media Group, a respected UK PR and communications agency launched in 2004 after an early career in manufacturing and IT. Today, she works with global brands across engineering, retail, food and leisure sectors.

Her achievements have been recognised through honours including the More Radio Sports Award, and finalist status at the Asian Sports Achievement Awards and Sports Personality of the Year.

A passionate speaker, mentor and role model, Aneela is committed to empowering young people through sport, confidence and representation. As an Ambassador for the Asian Sports Foundation, she proudly champions inclusion, grassroots participation and opportunity, inspiring the next generation to aim higher, train harder and believe in themselves.

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Seema spent 8 years as a competitive athlete; boxing in green and gold out of London’s oldest, most historic club, The Repton. She boxed nationally and internationally, winning multiple London and National titles. Previously, Seema had little experience in the gym and a strong corporate career, so boxing was an unusual and unfamiliar change in direction. Boxing for her became about a deep exploration of self, in a manner that was raw, real and kept her accountable.

Prior to boxing, Seema has been instrumental in launching and growing the digital arm of businesses within media and entertainment. She took a major special reports publisher for The Times newspaper online and later went on to drive the UK digital strategy to launch Disney Theatrical Group’s Aladdin the Musical into London’s West End. Seema also spent a period of time consulting; working with startups to develop their early-stage strategies, as well as with large, complex organisations to transform and innovate. She knows how to cultivate great relationships and is a big advocate of clear communication, self-awareness and compassion in business.

She has over a decade of experience working specifically with voice through her various experiences as a voice coach, voice over artist, radio trainer and public speaker. Seema is the Founder of Project Optimum, where she works with individuals on how to speak and communicate effectively, and helps businesses uplift performance through better communication. This followed a five-year stint as the station voice for BBC Asian Network and a three-year study, involving 200 senior executives from top global brands and startups, to understand how voice influences their decision-making. Seema also lectures on BA and MA courses for the Media School at the London College of Communication.

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Krumesh Patel is a professional basketball coach with extensive experience across the UK, Europe, and international game. He has held coaching roles with leading clubs including the Leicester Riders, London Lions, Manchester Basketball and Wetterbygden Sparks in Sweden, and has worked within the Great Britain Women’s national basketball team pathway at multiple age groups.

He currently serves as Head Coach of the Great Britain Women’s national team - becoming the first British Asian to hold the role - and is also Assistant Coach at Athinaikos WBC in Greece. Krumesh previously contributed to the London Lions’ historic EuroCup Women-winning season. Passionate about leadership, player development and increasing diversity in sport, he is recognised as an influential figure helping to shape the future of British basketball.

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Team Doctor at Crystal Palace, and former Team Doctor at Liverpool FC, Tottenham Hotspur and England FA youth team

Dr Zafar Iqbal qualified as a doctor at the St Bartholomew’s and Royal London School of Medicine in 1999 and went on to complete an MSC in Sports and Exercise Medicine (SEM) at Queen Mary University London, six years later.

As well as working and setting up various Sports Medicine Clinics, Dr Iqbal has worked as the team Doctor at Leyton Orient FC, Tottenham Hotspur and England FA youth teams. During the summer of 2010 he swapped White Hart Lane for Anfield, when he was appointed Liverpool’s first-team doctor, working alongside Professor Peter Brukner. In 2012 he moved up to the position of the Head of Sports Medicine at Liverpool FC. In 2015 he returned to London and took up the position of Head of Sports Medicine at Crystal Palace FC and work in Private Sports Medicine Clinics at PURE Sports. He is also the Medical Officer for the London Titans (Wheelchair Basketball Team) and provides cover for local professional Cricket Clubs.

Dr Iqbal lectures and writes widely on various aspects of SEM and believes that all athletes should receive the same specialist care irrespective of their level. He has a particular interest in promoting physical activity in the community and its prescription in the management of associated chronic diseases such as type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular disease.

In recent years he has campaigned widely for the availability of AEDS in all public places and promoting physical activity and healthy lifestyle education in Schools. Since 2006 he has been the Chairman for the FA Medical Society organising Sports Medicine conferences for Medical staff involved in sports.

The Asian Sports Foundation will recruit a panel of experts which will include Sports Psychologists, Fitness Trainers, Diet & Nutritionists, Dr’s etc that will support the Foundation to deliver projects through targeted workshops in areas of need.

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Amazin LeThi is an LGBTQ advocate, keynote speaker, former competitive natural bodybuilder, athlete, published author and cultural change leader. She was the only east Asian ambassador for Pride House Birmingham 2022 and first Vietnamese Gay Games ambassador along with being the only Asian LGBTQ Athlete to simultaneously hold multiple sports ambassador roles in the world. In 2022 she became the first Asian LGBTQ ambassador for Sporting Heritage, MQ Mental Health Research and the British Royal family – King Charles organization ‘Princes Trust’.

Through her conversations as a cultural change leader, Amazin shares her personal journey from homelessness to becoming one of the most visible and influential LGBTQ advocates in the world. She has been recognized by over 20 international organizations such as the - Human Rights Campaign, Honorary Citizen of the State of Georgia and was named ´One of six Asian women to know´ during Forbes magazine´s ´Asian Pacific Islander Heritage´month.

As a globally recognised LGBTQ advocate, diversity, equity, belonging, social justice and inclusion advisor she supports governments, sports organizations and Fortune 500 companies on such issues as race, LGBTQ, gender and sports justice. She was the LGBTQ and Asian Digital Communication Advisor on the successful Team Biden ´Out For Biden´ campaign.

At the end of 2022 she collaborated with AllOut.org on an LGBTQ sports equality campaign around the Qatar World Cup.

‘Growing up I never saw any Asian or Asian LGBTQ athletes in sport. With my eighth ambassador role as the first Asian LGBTQ athlete ambassador for the ‘Asian Sports Foundation’ I hope through the power of sharing my own athletic story to be a positive role model for any Asian or LGBTQ athlete to encourage and inspire them to bring their authentic self to the game. I look forward to working with the ‘Asian Sports Foundation’ to support their vision to empower and change lives through the power of sports and to inspire the next generation of Asian athletes.’

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Manoj has over the past year become a familiar and much-loved face ion Broths TV, in Gurinder Chadha’s Desi Rascals, which was broadcast in 2015 on Sly Living and Sky 1. Manoj is an advocate of all sports with a passion for golf and the Gunners.

Manoj has been a City Banking professional in both Investment and Retail for over 35 years working in various locations across the globe, and over the past two years, he has dedicated himself to raising funds for both Macmillan Cancer Society, and Colin Jackson’s charity “Go Dad Run” which raises awareness for Prostate Cancer.

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Nothing is more exciting in the “beautiful game” of football than seeing a skilful young player in full flow of his genius, the potential for a golden future ahead and nothing but forward momentum.In the case of Zidan Miah, the youngster is truly in the limelight.

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Having recently scooped the Founders Special Recognition Awards at the Asian FootballAwards in November 2015, and appearing in Channel 4’s Chasing Perfection, which explored the dramatic impact sports sciences has had on the world of professional sports, it seems that the world is truly his oyster.At just 14, Zidan is being hailed by many in the UK and the US as the rising face of football’s future, Zidan has with the incredible support of his family has a journey that is sometimes hard to believe, but showing his commitment and passion for the sport.He was a mere seven years old with a zest for football that had already landed him at theDavid Beckham Soccer Academy, when his father noticed his son’s “lethal” left foot. Itwas this intense flair and ability with his favoured game, that made Zidan stand out from his contemporaries.Still at a tender age, Zidan developed his skills further by playing for Dulwich Hamlet FC, subsequently enrolling at Pro Touch Soccer Academy and then at the Soccer Elite FAAcademy, in Kent, one of the top football academies in England. It was at Pro Touch that Zidan met Ta8 Rahman, one of the few Asian coaches in football, whose advice and mentoring changed the course of this extremely talented youngster’s trajectory and provide him with the opportunity to develop his competence overseas.After living in the USA for a year and having exhausted all options in Geneva, Ohio, the family took the decision to move to Dallas, Texas, USA where Zidan could continue his elite training but now at the flagship location of the Michael Johnson Performance Center as well as train and play for the FC Dallas youth team.When not playing or training, Zidan, who counts amongst his football heroes Cristiano Ronaldo, Steven Gerrard, David Beckham and Zienedine Zidane, combines his studies at a special school for gifted, talented and highly motivated students where the full academic schedule is compressed into half the time. This enables them to participate and concentrate on extra-curricular activities in a more vigorous way. That way Zidan can focus on his training at MJP and FC Dallas.There is no doubt that Zidan is a role model not just for youngsters in the UK but the USA and the Indian Subcontinent, and shows that passion and talent combined with strong family support can result in a potential star being born.

Simran trains six days a week approx. four hours a day and has dedicated her life to boxing. Simran has had four skills bouts to get her used to the environment of boxing at a show in a ring, and then she has had five competitive bouts and won all five – and in fact winning three by knockout! She is currently the English National Schoolgirl Champion and in July went over to Dublin tp participate in the international Monkstown Box Cup where she won Gold Medal. Now busy training to prepare for next season when she hopes have another highly successful season and be selected for the England Junior team.

Rachel Choong has been a badminton player for almost all of her life. With her dad already a keen badminton player and her older sister just joining a club with coaching, Rachel first picked up a racquet at the tender age of six. She instantly fell in love with the sport and didn’t let her height deter her.

After a few years of regular coaching, Rachel started playing in the junior league but found it difficult to keep up with the other children during their growth spurts. Not letting it faze her, she trained hard and was then selected to play for Lancashire’s junior county team and attend weekly and monthly county training. She represented Lancashire several times between the ages of twelve and fifteen until one of her county coaches suggested that she entered the 4 Nations Para-Badminton Championships.

In August 2007, Rachel (aged 13) made her para-badminton and international debut in the SS6 (short stature) classification. Since then, Rachel has regularly competed around the world. Her most notable achievements include, 2008 and 2012 double European Para-Badminton Champion; 2013 double World Para-Badminton Champion; 2015 triple World Para-Badminton Champion – the first player in English history to achieve this; and the winner of the UK Sport Inspirational Performance of the Year at the British Ethnic Diversity Sports Awards 2016.

Rachel now has her hopes set on the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan when para-badminton will make its Paralympic debut.

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Robert Rawiri ‘Robbie’ Hunter-Paul is a former New Zealand rugby league player. He currently works as the CEO at Super League side Bradford Bulls, after retiring as a player at the end of the 2011 season following two years with Leigh Centurions. He played for the New Zealand national team 27 times

As with many Asian girls, her parents wanted her to do a ‘proper’ job, but Sahra Hassan had just one thing on her mind – golf. When she was two, Sahra Hassan and her sisters would go along with their dad Ash to watch him play squash, and it wasn’t long before Sahra was picking up the racket herself and hitting balls, amazing his friends with her ability at such a young age. And it was the same with just about any sport Sahra turned her hand to, and by the tender age of four she was playing softball tennis.

Sport is not always the first choice of young Muslim women as there are many cultural barriers in their way. Due to religious misinterpretations or simply a lack of awareness, many Muslim women have been prevented or not felt able to participate in sports. Sahra is keen to knock those stereotypes on the head and would like to see herself as a positive role model and someone who encourages other young women from her community to participate in sport.

Sahra’s family has always encouraged her sporting flair, but she still faced difficulties and opposition when she decided to make it her career. In her early childhood tennis was the dominant sport, but when she joined her dad on the golf course she found a natural ability for that game too and by her late teens she had to choose between the two sports.

Golf was the winner at the end of the day and it seems to have been the right choice as today she successfully makes her way up the world rankings.

Breaking through into the world of golf hasn’t always been plain sailing for Sahra and she’s had to overcome hurdles along the way. Her parents and relatives needed some convincing golf was the right career path for a young Muslim girl.

“I want to prove it to young Muslim, Asian girls and Welsh girls that you can still keep your culture and your principles, religious beliefs and participate in sport and make sport as your career.
“I want to be the best lady golfer in the world. And I’d love to see more Asian and ethnic children to take interest in sport, particularly golf. That would be my dream.”

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