Pint of Science festival

2023 will see its tenth anniversary, with events in over 25 countries and hundreds of cities around the world. The events provide a platform for researchers to share their stories, and audiences an opportunity to ask their questions about science to those directly behind it.

SSEHS contributions will be delivered at Peters Pizzeria from 7.30pm on 23 May, under the theme ‘Sport: Uneven playing fields’. The evening will feature talks on:

Sport for all? ‘Race’ & Racism in Sports Coaching

• Ross Esnor (PhD Researcher in Sports Coaching at Loughborough University)

Despite high participation rates, and increasing ethnic and cultural diversity among the playing workforce across the global north, there remains an under-representation of racialised minority groups within national sports coaching contexts. I will discuss how socio-historical constructions of ‘race’ continue to inform racisms and racialised experiences for racialised minority groups within sport and sports coaching.

The Paralympic Games: Do athletes cheat?

• Iain Gowans (PhD Researcher at Loughborough University)

The Paralympic Games have seen a rapid growth in exposure in recent years. Paralympians have become household names, thanks to appearances on The Last Leg and Strictly Come Dancing.

Meanwhile, the number of scandals in sport have rocketed in the 21st Century. Doping, match-fixing, and equipment tampering have all hit the headlines, with athletes receiving lengthy bans.

The Paralympic Games have come through this time largely unscathed, but are Paralympians less likely than Olympians to try to gain an unfair advantage? And what opportunities to cheat are available when you’re a Paralympian?

My Secret Race

• Ethan Akanni (Sports Assistant at Loughborough university, self-employed sports massage therapist and track and field athlete.)

Join me on a journey where I learn to embrace who I am and discover my athletic potential. Who would have thought that sharing my 'secret' would have lifted such a weight off my shoulders

You can’t sit with us…or can you?

• Zuleikha Chikh (Doctoral Researcher in gender and race in sport leadership at Loughborough University)

Who shapes our everyday reality and why should we care? Any attempt to address issues in the social world must address the concept of power. Power and knowledge are often used as a social control method within sports organisations. I will explore the interplay between identity and power in shaping outcomes for minoritised communities in sport.

How do wheelchair tennis players return serves?

• Yash Deshpande (PhD Researcher at Loughborough Univeristy)

Wheelchair tennis is upcoming and one of the main factors for performance is to understand how players identify serve direction and return serves. However, wheelchair tennis has different time constraints than conventional tennis. Players have different physical constraints too. So, we have tried to understand whether anticipation is necessary for returning serves in wheelchair tennis. Results from international matches and player interviews would be presented.

For more information and to purchase your ticket, please visit the Pint of Science website.