lewis hamilton

Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton is set to appear in an exclusive pre-recorded video interview at the Black in Sport Summit 2023.

Global sporting superstars added to Black in Sport Summit 2023 line-up

  • Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time Formula One title winner, set to appear in exclusive video interview
  • Alice Dearing, the first black female swimmer to represent Team GB at the Olympics, confirms speaker slot
  • Richard Riakporhe, the undefeated professional boxer, also added to the distinguished line-up

Organisers of the Black in Sport Summit (BISS) have secured a major coup with sport icons Lewis Hamilton, Alice Dearing, and Richard Riakporhe all confirmed to take part in the 2023 showpiece event.

Hamilton, recognised as one of the most successful British sports stars of all time, will join the event remotely on Saturday 25 March at London Stadium with a pre-recorded exclusive video interview.

Hamilton will speak with Sky Sports presenter, host, and Board Member at Loughborough University, Mike Wedderburn. 

BISS will also see Olympic Games swimmer Alice Dearing and professional boxer Richard Riakporhe join the star-studded line-up of speakers to tackle discrimination and underrepresentation of black people in sport.

Further industry leaders have also been added to the bill, including Darren Lewis (Assistant Editor at Daily Mirror), Bobby Kasanga (CEO Hackney Wick FC), and Tony Burnett (CEO of Kick It Out).

“I’m thrilled by the remarkable group of industry leaders we have brought together for the Black in Sport Summit,” said BISS co-founder Ladi Ogunmekan.

“Their diverse backgrounds and experiences will enrich the event and help us to promote a deeper understanding of the crucial issues surrounding discrimination and underrepresentation in sports.

“By bringing these thought leaders together, we hope to inspire positive change and to pave the way for a more inclusive and equitable future for everyone in the sports industry.

“I am grateful for the support of our speakers and cannot wait to see the impact that they will have at the summit.”

The full line-up includes:

  • Lewis Hamilton (Formula One driver) (exclusive video interview)
  • Alice Dearing (GB swimmer and co-founder Black Swimming Association (BSA))
  • Richard Riakporhe (professional boxer)
  • Bobby Kasanga (CEO of Hackney Wick FC)
  • Darren Lewis (Assistant Editor at Daily Mirror)
  • Tony Burnett (CEO of Kick It Out)
  • Mike Wedderburn (Sky Sports presenter and Board Member at Loughborough University)
  • Anita Abayomi (football journalist and co-host of Goal Diggers Podcast)
  • Leon Mann (interviewer, filmmaker, and founder of the Football Black List and the Black Collective of Media in Sport (BCOMS))
  • Carina White – (Account Director, broadcaster, cultural commentator, keynote speaker, BCOMS board member, and founding member of NSPCC’s Childline Circle)
  • Imani-Lara Lansiquot (Team GB sprinter)
  • Lutalo Muhammad (Team GB Taekwondo athlete)
  • Christian Scotland-Williamson (former professional NFL and rugby union player, and talkSPORT broadcaster)
  • Courtney Sweetman-Kirk (professional footballer at Sheffield United FC)
  • Lloyd Grose – (member of British Cycling's External Advisory Board)

The action-packed day – supported by Sky, Europe's leading media and entertainment company –will include panel discussions and in-depth talks on issues facing black people in sport, with networking opportunities available for those looking at a career in sport.

To keep across the latest news, follow BISS’s social media channels: Instagram, LinkedIn & TikTok: @blackinsport / Twitter: @blackinsport_

Tickets for BISS 2023 are now available to purchase. To find out more and to secure your ticket, visit: https://msha.ke/blackinsport

Notes for editors

Press release reference number: 23/29

Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2022 QS World University Rankings – the sixth year running – and University of the Year for Sport by The Times and Sunday Times University Guide 2022.

Loughborough is ranked 7th in The UK Complete University Guide 2023, 10th in the Guardian University League Table 2023 and 11th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023.

Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’, and in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 over 90% of its research was rated as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally-excellent’. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes

The Loughborough University London campus is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities. It is home to influential thought leaders, pioneering researchers and creative innovators who provide students with the highest quality of teaching and the very latest in modern thinking.

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