Last Thursday I attended the Muslim Council of Britain’s third annual Leadership Dinner alongside Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson.
Dame Tanni was the keynote speaker at an event celebrating the best of British sport, with contributions on video from leading Muslim athletes across a range of sports.
An inspiring story
Whilst Mohamed Sbihi, Khadijah Safari and Zesh Rehman had important messages, it was Darren Cheesman who took our breath away. An English hockey player, he spoke with wisdom and passion about what it took to succeed in sport, and about being English and a Muslim in Britain. All the way through we were struck by the positivity Darren displayed and how his message contrasted with popular misconceptions.
Thus when the captions came up at the end of the video and revealed that Darren is injured and unable to compete in the London 2012 Games there were two sharp intakes of breath. It seemed that in a few minutes Darren had completely captured Tanni and me with his message, and we shared in the pain and disappointment he must be experiencing.
A heart-warming celebration
Other speakers followed a modernising agenda, and fittingly for the event’s proximity to International Women’s Day promoted gender equality. Speakers also explored the role of Muslim civilisations in developing sports, including mixed sports, during the Dark Ages of European history.
The whole event, attended by politicians of every hue, ambassadors and consulate staff from around the world, was a heart-warming celebration of London 2012 and what the UK's Muslim community can do to play a full role in the Games.
My Olympics
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