Canary Wharf Group is delighted to announce the winner of this year’s Canary Wharf Sports Personality of the Year, Ruqsana Begum whose impressive Kickboxing achievements have wowed the judges.
Ruqsana was crowned Canary Wharf Sports Personality of the Year 2016, at a ceremony held at Canary Wharf’s East Wintergarden last night, amid fierce competition from a remarkable array of nominees. Three local sporting groups were also recognised for their 2016 achievements. These were; football team Senrab FC U13’s Lions, Poplar Blackwall & District Women’s Rowing Squad and the Docklands Sailing and Watersports Centre.
Ruqsana fights Muay Thai Kickboxing. She won her first World Title in April 2016 against Swedish Champion Susanna Salijarvi and is currently the World Kickboxing Association (WKA) 48kg champion.
Ruqsana is an inspirational figure, a motivational speaker, teaches kickboxing classes for women, juggles media commitments and leads a busy family life with many responsibilities
Canary Wharf Group’s Associate Director of Community Affairs, Zakir Khan said: “Congratulations to all the fantastic nominees and winners of this year’s Canary Wharf Sports Personality of the Year Awards. These awards give well deserved recognition to the achievements of local people in their chosen sports. Special congratulations to Ruqsana Begum, our Sports Personality of the Year 2016.”
This is the sixteenth annual Canary Wharf Sports Personality of the Year Awards and Canary Wharf Group is proud to have invested in sport in the surrounding area of London for over 20 years as part of its commitment to fostering social and economic development.
The awards encourage sporting excellence and participation in this area of London. The event was attended by over 250 local sports people and administrators as well as a range of local dignitaries, including Poplar and Limehouse MP Jim Fitzpatrick, Tower Hamlets Mayor John Biggs, Tower Hamlets Speaker of the Council Khales Uddin Ahmed and ex-West Ham United legend Tony Cottee.
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
Press Office
Canary Wharf Group plc
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pressoffice@canarywharf.com
Notes to Editors
Winners on the evening were:
Sports Personality of the Year 2016: Ruqsana Begum
Junior Team of the Year: Senrab FC U13’s Lions
- Senrab FC under 13 Lions won the Echo League Premier Division; the Premier Division Cup final; the Coca-Cola International Tournament in The Hague, Holland; The Norfolk Cup tournament in Great Yarmouth and several other local tournaments. Senrab Lions were formed in 2009, and are made up of local boys from the area; they have lost several players to professional clubs, which makes their achievements even more outstanding.
Senior Team of the Year: Poplar Blackwall & District Women’s Rowing Squad
- The Women’s Rowing Squad had a very successful year during 2016 winning medals in domestic races, national championships and international regattas. The women train up to nine sessions every week. Their hard work and dedication paid off last year recording wins at the National Masters Championships, Henley, Peterborough, Nottingham, Marlow and most notably a win at the European Masters Championships held in Cologne, Germany.
Group Achievement Award: Docklands Sailing and Watersports Centre
- DSWC was established in 1989 with the aim of providing accessible watersports for all facets of the local community. In recent years this has taken the form of a heavily discounted youth sailing, kayaking and windsurfing programme as well as several other initiatives targeting disadvantaged groups within the locality. In 2016, DSWC had over 7,200 attendances across their youth, school and group sessions, the second highest in the centres history.
About Canary Wharf Group
Canary Wharf Group plc has overseen the largest urban regeneration project ever undertaken in Europe, designing and building more than 17m sq ft of London real estate, which now houses local and international companies and renowned retailers.
The Canary Wharf Estate is a major retail destination comprising around 1m sq ft across five shopping malls, including the award-winning leisure development, Crossrail Place, housing one of London’s most stunning roof gardens. It also has world-class, year-round arts and events programme offering over 200 diverse and culturally inspiring events performed throughout the Estate.
Canary Wharf Group is a wholly owned joint venture between Brookfield Property Partners and the Qatar Investment Authority.
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