England women’s bowler Isa Guha is celebrating after being crowned Sports Personality of the Year at the British Asian Sports Awards.
Arun Kang, Chief Executive Sporting Equals, Isa Guha, BASA Sports Personality of the Year, and David Mbaziira, Head of Marketing & Communications Sporting Equals
The Award adds to Guha’s impressive achievements of 2009 with the England Women’s Team, who won the World Cup, the World 20 Twenty and the Ashes.
Guha was delighted to receive the award and paid credit her teammates: “It is the third time I’ve been nominated and the first time I’ve won, so I am extremely pleased. I would like to thank my family for their continual support over the years and my fellow England teammates for making this such a special year. It also shows that women’s cricket is highly regarded in the British Asian community and it is nice to get some recognition.”
Clare Connor, Head of Women’s Cricket added her congratulations saying: "Isa thoroughly deserves this award. Since she made her England debut, aged only 17, she has been a consistent performer for the England women's cricket team in all formats of the game. As such, she has been an integral part of the England team's journey to become number one in the world. Off the pitch she is a terrific ambassador for her sport and is an aspirational role model for young Asian women who have a dream of their own to pursue. We are all immensely proud of Isa for being named British Asian Sports Personality of the Year."
At the start of 2010 Guha joined the Sporting Equals Ambassador Programme, to encourage more girls, especially from ethnic minorities to become involved in sport.
“I want to show them that it is possible to study and have a normal career as well as achieving their sporting dreams,” Guha added.
Congratulating Guha on her award and welcoming her to the Ambassador programme, Sporting Equals Chief Executive, Arun Kang, said: “Isa is living proof that playing at the top level does not have to mean sacrificing all else: she has a degree in biochemistry and is working towards her PhD; she has a promising future in science as well as an impressive cricketing CV.”
Guha is also keen to emphasise the personal benefits of taking part in sport. “Playing cricket has given me an excellent opportunity to get fit and healthy, meet people of similar interests, integrate with people of different backgrounds and see the world.”
Sporting Equals are looking forward to working with Guha when she returns from she returns from India where she is due to fly out with the England squad for their one-day and Twenty20 series.
