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UEL celebrates Sports Awards

Monday 9 May 2011

 

With the World’s top athletes set to compete in the 2012 Games next summer, the University of East London celebrated the talents of its own sporting heroes and future Olympic stars at the recent UEL Sports Awards.

The event, which was held at West Ham United’s stadium in Upton Park, highlighted the past year’s sporting achievements at UEL through six categories, including Service to Sport, Club of the Year and International Excellence.

Sporting legend, Baroness Grey-Thompson, a competitor in five Paralympic Games and winner of six London Marathons, was guest of honour at the event, where she received a Lifetime Achievement award and an honorary doctorate of the university.

In what was an eagerly anticipated evening for both students and staff, Emma Jenkinson was given a Service to Sport award for her tireless work with UEL’S Triathlon Club, while Tymal Mills, a rising star in England’s under 19 cricket team, was awarded the International Excellence award. In the other highlights of the evening, UEL’s football club scooped the Club of the Year award; the university’s rugby team came out on top in the Achievement of the Year category and Newham All Star Sports Academy (NASSA) was recognised as UEL’s Most Valued Partner.

Speaking after receiving her Lifetime Achievement Award and honorary degree, Baroness Grey-Thompson, said: “I work with a lot of young people and I keep saying to them that it’s really important for them to maintain a healthy balance of both education and sport. My parents were very supportive and my father said get a degree first as you do not know when a career in sport will end. You also need to use your head when it comes to the commercial aspect such as sponsorship – life and university help you to prepare for this.

“With the London 2012 Games nearly upon us, now is the perfect time for people to start getting involved in what will be a once in a lifetime opportunity. The atmosphere during games times is incredible and the people in East London are in for an amazing experience. This has been a fantastic evening and to receive the honorary degree and Lifetime Achievement award is a huge honour for me on a personal level."

David Cosford, Director of Sport at UEL, said: “These awards are the perfect opportunity for students and staff to celebrate the sporting achievements of the past year. I really enjoyed the evening and I know that the students had a great time.

On a personal note, I would like to say a big thank you to Baroness Grey-Thompson for attending the awards and sharing her amazing experiences as a world-class athlete. She is a truly inspirational figure and one that I know our students look up to.UEL is striving to become the number one university for sport in London by 2015 and I have every confidence that we can do this.”

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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