+44 20 8954 9881 
WF Planner 
WhatsApp 
Instagram 
OneID By WF 
WF Apps incl. Tafsir Tadabbur 
Donate The first World Federation Sports Awards were presented on Day Two of the WF50 Heritage Weekend, recognising distinguished sportspeople and contributors from across the global community. The awards took the place of a global sports festival originally planned for the Golden Jubilee, and attracted 238 nominations from Vancouver to Melbourne, judged by a jury of experienced sportsmen and sportswomen from Canada, the UK, Tanzania and India.
Introducing the awards, former Kenya cricket captain Aasif Yusuf Karim noted that Khoja sport predates The World Federation, with the Jaffery club in Mombasa established in 1921, and that sport has long brought the community together. He called for the community’s sporting heritage to be recorded and urged parents to support their children’s sporting ambitions, noting that “sports starts at home”.
The winners
| Award | Ladies | Gents |
|---|---|---|
| Best Upcoming Young Sportsperson (Under 18) | Sakinah Damji (UK) | Mustafa Ibrahim (UK) |
| Most Inspiring Sporting Story | Shyrose Asharia (UK) | Shabbir Ali Habib Virji (India) |
| Most Impactful and Inspirational Coach | Shahin Panju (Canada) | Shabbir Ali Habib Virji (India) |
| Outstanding Contribution to Sports | Sabiha Chagpar Ismail (UK) | Aasif Yusuf Karim (Kenya) |
| Sports Achievement (Aged 35 or Below) | Sakina Dhirani (UK) | Irfan Ali Karim (Kenya) |
| Outstanding Para-Sportsperson | Manahil Merchant (Australia) | Noorelain Sharrif (Tanzania) |
| Lifetime Achievement in Sports | Ghalia Mohsin (Pakistan) | Yasin Merchant (India) |
| Most Inspiring and Active Senior Sportsperson (Over 70) | Hussein Juma (UK) | |
| Most Successful and Organised Community Delivering Sporting Opportunities | Stanmore Jafferys (UK) | |
| Outstanding Financial Contribution to Community Sports Facilities | Marhum Dr Naushad Noorali Merali | |
| Sports Personality of the Century | Aasif Yusuf Karim (Kenya) | |
| Posthumous Sports Award | Marhum Mahmood Yusufali Abdallah Nurmohamed | |
| Pioneer Sports Person | Marhum Yusuf Karim | |
Regional awards were also presented to Saamiya Bhimani, Anaya Zara Kanji, Ali Jawad Rajabali, Muhammad Abbas, Muhammad Hassan and Rayan Abbas (young sportspeople); Sadiyah Jagani and Nishat Khalfan (contribution to sports); Murtaza Dewji (para-sport); Bashir Abbas Tejani (lifetime achievement); and Al-Wahda Sports Festival, Fatimiyah Sports Complex and Masoomin Sports Club (community sporting opportunities).
Recipients ranged from young players ranked nationally in England to Shabbir Ali Habib Virji, who captained India’s national football team, Yasin Merchant, three-time Asian Snooker Champion, and Noorelain Sharrif, former chairman of the Tanzania Olympic Committee. Stanmore Jafferys was recognised for providing more than 20 sports to over 1,700 members through a volunteer-led programme.
Aasif Karim presented the President with the commemorative sports book produced for the awards. In his closing remarks, Alhaj Safder Jaffer congratulated all recipients, welcomed the strong representation of women, described the para-athletes as “people of determination”, and said The World Federation would consider how best to support sport, within the bounds of faith, as a way of engaging the next generation.
In this part of the programme
| 3:15 | Sports — Contributions & Awards |
Watch the full livestreams
This session is part of the full Day Two livestream. Both days of the WF50 Heritage Weekend are available to watch in full on YouTube.
