Ahsan’s an inspiration in mixed ability sport
Ahsan Sakandar has a learning disability and is partially deaf with mild cerebral palsy, which can affect his balance. Having been in mainstream education at school and college, he then couldn’t find a job and his world shrank as he stayed at home every day.
That was until in 2008 at an adult social skills class he discovered he could join a mixed ability rugby team at Bradford & Bingley RFC.
“My mum started to give me lifts there and take me to the training, but after a while, I learned to travel independently to the ground,” says Ahsan. “I was the first Asian player with a learning disability and the first Asian playing rugby union in my community.
“The best thing about mixed ability rugby is that anybody can play. It’s the same as normal rugby, apart from the fact that we don’t push in the scrum. Players have all sorts of disabilities, or none at all, and we are all teammates. It’s a real mixture of people that sometimes includes friends and family.
“Since I started playing, my friend Ahmar – who initially came there to support me – has also started to play and after that, my nephew Sufiyan joined the sport too.”
First ever team sport to team captain
It was the first time that Ahsan had been part of a sporting team and initially, he was a bit nervous.
“My health wasn’t good when I first started playing, but I’m fitter and healthier now and I have new skills. I know what I’m doing on a rugby pitch.”
Ahsan’s story is an inspiring one. He came up with the name the Bumble Bees to keep the association with the club’s mainstream Bees, became captain and led his squad to the first Mixed Ability Rugby World Cup final in Bradford in 2015.
He’s toured to France, Spain, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, and was asked to join International Mixed Ability Sports (IMAS) as a trainer starting as a volunteer and progressing to a paid job.
Qualified coach & trainer
“At IMAS we prepare and deliver presentations, initially to different rugby clubs but now loads of new sports have started mixed ability teams. We go to colleges, universities and even train doctors. We host placements for students, go into GP practices and train social workers, so they can help people be healthier playing sports.”
Ahsan also helped create a guidebook and videos for new clubs starting up and went to Holland to train their rugby national governing body and to coach.
He says: “I want to share my story because I want more people to join mixed ability sports and be active, especially Asian people.”
Having learned skills with White Rose Rugby Coaching he “wanted to help people by working with them” and during the Covid lockdown he shared videos of easy ways to exercise in the garden to keep fit and healthy, especially for people with a disability or long-term conditions.
“I managed to stay connected with the audience and move the training online. Doing the exams for my coaching qualification, I got a scribe and extra time. I was very proud when I passed and now, I’m a qualified coach and can deliver multi-sports to primary and secondary schools, summer camps and sports clubs all over Yorkshire. I have even delivered a few sessions in a prison.
Making family proud
“Being a coach makes me feel excited. It’s brilliant and I’m happy with what I’m doing, plus I’m more active. My family is proud of me and my sister and my mum are both very pleased, especially when I won the Coach Core Graduate of the Year Apprenticeship Award.
“I want everyone like me to just come and try out mixed ability sports because people at the clubs always welcome you, you meet different people of all abilities. It’s fun, you go out socially and make a lot of friends.”
Ahsan is inviting everyone to follow IMAS on Facebook and Instagram to discover what they do and get involved.
