Press Release: Warwickshire Paralympian nominated for national award

A Warwickshire athlete has been nominated for a prestigious award and hopes to use his achievements to inspire others.Great Britain’s wheelchair rugby star Mandip Sehmi, 30, has been nominated for the Outstanding Achievement Award at the British Asian Sports Awards (BASA).The Leamington-born athlete, who now lives in Warwick, was nominated after a superb 2010 which saw him win every competition at club level and represent Great Britain at the World Championships in Canada.His impressive form also led to him being selected to play in the USA league this season where he has been representing Phoenix Heat in the largest and most competitive wheelchair rugby league in the world.“When I heard I was nominated I was quite shocked. It has been a bit of a whirlwind and it is quite an honour to be considered for this award,” said Sehmi, who is also an ambassador for the Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership for the 2012 Games.“The main thing for me is to raise awareness of my sport and hopefully encourage others to participate.“Hopefully I can encourage people in the Asian community to get involved in sport and I hope those who have suffered injuries can take inspiration from what we have achieved through hard work and realise that after an accident it is not the end of the world.”After being one of only a handful of players to be picked to play in the USA wheelchair rugby league, Sehmi is hoping to use the valuable experience to the benefit of Great Britain when the team heads for the European Championships in September before setting their sights on London 2012.He said: “With London 2012 being so close the excitement is really building up now and I’m looking forward to competing in my home country with all my friends and family behind me.“Great Britain has never medalled at a Paralympics but we have to aim high and go for the gold.“We have taken massive steps recently and I hope we can work together to at least get on that podium.”Tom Clift, Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership manager for the 2012 Games, said he hoped others in the region would be inspired to become involved with sport after seeing what Mandip and his team mates have achieved.“We are delighted that Mandip has been nominated for this award and we would encourage as many people as possible to support him,” he said.“He has achieved a great deal in a relatively short period of time and he is a shining example of someone who has not allowed their disability to be an obstacle to success.“We hope others in the region will take inspiration from Mandip’s achievements and with London 2012 fast-approaching there has never been a better time to get involved in sport.“There are a whole host of projects running across Coventry and Warwickshire during the countdown to London 2012 and beyond and this is a once in a lifetime to try something new and enjoy the many benefits sport can bring.”For details of London 2012-related activity taking place in Coventry and Warwickshire visit www.cswp.org.uk/london2012.Voting for The BASA closes on Monday, February 28. To vote for Mandip Sehmi call 09050 260314 or text BASA 14 to 84555. The BASA award ceremony will take place in London on March 5, 2011ENDS

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