2012, the year of the Olympics in London and sport fever has certainly gripped North West London where the Muslim Women’s Sport Foundation was nominated for the Football Foundation of the Year at the first ever Asian Football Awards held at Wembley stadium.
The Asian Football Awards ceremony was established with the help of Kick It Out and the Football Association and took place on Tuesday 24th January.
Rimla Akhtar was part of the futsal team when the Muslim Women's Sport Foundation was set up. It aims to raise awareness of the issues facing Muslim women in sport as well as directly producing and implementing the solutions.
Now the current Chair, Rimla has also represented the MWSF at international futsal competitions. She has worked in the FA and footballing community through consultancy and holds a number of positions including on the National Race Equality Advisory Group, the Asian and Muslim Women and Girls Working Group and the Referees Diversity Action Group. This has been critical to the development of women’s sport for the BME community.
Her loyalty, passion and dedication to her work has been rewarded yet again as Rimla won and was presented with the Asian Woman in Football Award 2012.
Rimla Akhtar, said: "Over the past eleven years the Muslim Women’s Sport Foundation (MWSF) has worked to increase the accessibility of sports facilities and opportunities to play and compete for those who are severely under-represented across all aspects of sport. We have always used sport as a powerful means of uniting people and overcoming prejudices, particularly those against minority communities."
She goes on to say: “I am so pleased that the Foundation was shortlisted for a great award and I’m clearly humbled at my winning an award. We have made so much difference to the community and the sporting world – I hope that everyone involved is proud of this moment. It’ll certainly spur us on to do even greater work.”
The MWSF will also be back at Wembley Stadium in April 2012 celebrating the contribution of individuals and organisations to the unique area of minority ethnic sports with the inaugural Ambassador Awards. www.awards.mwsf.org.uk
For more information on the Asian Football Awards go to http://www.
For more information on Muslim Women’s Sport Foundation go to www.mwsf.org.uk and for press/pr enquiries call: Allison Cooper /0208 427 0873/ 07935 057 618
