Congratulations to our outstanding nominees for the Yorkshire Sport Award! We are thrilled to recognise Wayde Griffin, SU Boxing Club President and BUCS Gold Medallist; Kenneth Ibie, SU Futsal Club Vice President and Student Assistant Coach; and Augustin Benny, ActiveHud Activator and SU Badminton 1st team player. Their dedication and achievements in sports are truly inspiring, and we are proud to celebrate their contributions to our community.

Wayde Griffin 

Wayde stands out as a student who has devoted his time and energy towards the sport of Boxing at the University of Huddersfield in the past year. Following a debut in the BUCS Nationals Boxing Championships in 2023 as an individual, Wayde set about the formation of the University of Huddersfield Boxing Club, to bring together likeminded students with a passion for Boxing and provide an opportunity for all to take part in the sport. His communication skills have been key to bringing students together of all abilities, and his enthusiasm for supporting others have seen the club flourish in the past year. Within his time, Wayde has worked on achieving his Level 1 Coaching qualifications in Boxing, and has gone on to support and lead sessions for members alongside other coaches at the local facility, on top of his own training and preparations for Boxing both within and outside of university. A fitting tribute to Wayde has been his own personal success at the BUCS Boxing Championships in 2024, winning gold in his own category, whilst also supporting two more students to train and compete at the event. Going back a year to the formation of the Boxing Club, this is an aspiration of Wayde’s achieved (to get more students representing the University of Huddersfield), and a catalyst to keep building for 2025 and so on. Whilst being a (deserved) role model for success at the University, it is refreshing to see Wayde put this to one side as he willingly supports new members and introduces them to Boxing, something often overlooked and brushed aside by those focusing on their own competitions/performances. His passion for the sport accompanied by his genuine desire to put others first serve to make a great volunteer within the sports community in Huddersfield.

Kenneth Ibie 

A prominent figure within the Activity Group community at the University of Huddersfield, Ken illustrates a committee member who has given his heart and soul to bettering the Futsal Club. As a newly formed club in spring 2023, the Futsal Club were thrown into the ‘deep end’ being entered into BUCS straight away, which presented additional challenges whilst still trying to establish a brand-new club. Furthermore, the club were unsuccessful in hiring a suitably qualified Futsal coach to provide organisation and experience at training, which made it an uphill task to have a successful first season. Ken took all these challenges in his stride and immediately put himself forward to complete his L1 Futsal coaching qualifications to become a step-in Coach that the club needed. With little/no experience of coaching, Ken led the sessions with support from SU & Activehud staff to guide him along his coaching journey, often seeking advice on session plans, ideas, and the man-management side of coaching. Underlined by Ken’s dedication to developing the club, the club grew from strength to strength and competed brilliantly in their debut BUCS season – winning 5 from 7 fixtures and finishing 2nd overall. What impressed most was Ken overcoming the coaching dynamic of ‘student-to-student’ interactions, being professional and persistent to create a positive culture within the club despite his inexperience, becoming a role model for all students looking to start their coaching & professional development journey. Off the court, Ken has worked hard to increase the awareness of the Futsal Club on campus, often supporting Futsal Social sessions with Activehud, collaborating with hobby-based and global societies on campus, and being an ambassador for the Students’ Union at big events. He understood participating is only a part of the student experience within a sports club, so alongside all his work in training made sure the social side of Futsal maintained a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere, organising regular team meals and social events. After starting from scratch to having a 2nd Futsal team entered BUCS in the space of a year speaks to the incredible efforts and passion of Ken – qualities which student-led clubs thrive on!

Augustin Benny

Augustin, a dedicated student at University of Huddersfield, who is a part of the Men’s 1st Badminton Team epitomizes the essence of volunteerism in community sports. Over the qualifying period, his unwavering commitment and selfless contributions have left a great mark on the University sports community.

From organizing grassroots sports events to being an Activator at Active Hud, sports hub of University of Huddersfield, Augustin has tirelessly devoted his time and expertise to uplifting the spirits of aspiring athletes, providing support to other students within his abilities. His passion for sports and genuine desire to give back to the community have propelled him to go above and beyond in his volunteer endeavours.

Despite the demands of his academic pursuits, Augustin has managed to seamlessly integrate his passion for sports with his studies, demonstrating exceptional time management and organizational skills. Whether it's assisting with sports clinics for underprivileged children or coordinating fundraising events for local sports clubs, Augustin's enthusiasm, and dedication shine through in everything he does.

Augustin is an international student hailing from India, He used to be a state level track athlete during his school days and was passionate about sports since he childhood. However, after coming to the UK even though he was busy with his nursing degree his passion for sports never died. He started by taking small steps, with no prior competition experience in Badminton but unlimited love for badminton, he started coming to university social sports sessions and started communicating with various students who loved sports. He was not a professional badminton player but with enormous effort and with his extreme passion, he is part of the Men’s 1st team at the University of Huddersfield. The experience he has gained from competitions, he has shared it to different other budding players in the sport. 

In essence, Augustin's dedication, passion, and impact in community sports exemplify the spirit of volunteerism, embodying the values and creating a positive environment. His selfless contributions have not only enriched the lives of those he has touched but have also creating a sporting mentality within the new stars of University of Huddersfield.

Pictured left to right: 

1. Augustin Benny – Activehud Activator & SU Badminton 1^st team player
2. Wayde Griffin – SU Boxing Club President & BUCS Gold Medallist
3. Kenneth Ibie (not pictured) – SU Futsal Club Vice President & Student Assistant Coach