A national champion of race equality in sport has been honoured by the University of Leicester.
Arun Kang OBE received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws during a graduation ceremony, held at De Montfort Hall, in Leicester, yesterday (Tuesday 16 July).
Arun is CEO of Sporting Equals, a national charity which champions race equality in sport and physical activity. He is recognised as an authority on equality and diversity issues, community engagement and social cohesion in sport.
He said: “It is an absolute honour to receive this prestigious award from the University of Leicester. We have been working with the University for over a decade developing Leadership programmes. I have always believed in having social impact with all the programmes I have developed and I’d like to thank my board and staff at Sporting Equals, that have implemented my ideas and brought them to life.”
Arun initially worked as a youth worker, before moving into BBC regional radio and television as a producer and presenter, where he won numerous awards. After graduating from the University of Central Lancashire with a Masters, he launched into a successful and influential career in equality, diversity and inclusion.
Arun was director of Cleveland Race Equality Council then took up a post as head of equality and diversity at Warwickshire County Council, from where he founded the Warwickshire Race Equality Partnership (now known as EQuiP). During this time, he also studied for a part-time Masters in promoting equality and managing diversity with the University of Central Lancashire. In 2009, he became CEO of Sporting Equals, and since then he has regularly collaborated with, and provided advice to, organisations and Government bodies across the entire sporting sector.
In 2017, Arun created and launched the first ever national LeaderBoard Academy programme, delivered in partnership with the University of Leicester, to increase the numbers of ethnically diverse members on sports boards. This continuing programme has attracted professionals from all walks of life including barristers, accountants, former athletes and CEOs. The programme has seen at least one third of all ethnically diverse graduates taking up board positions with at least half of them being women.
Arun’s other achievements include creating and launching the world’s first pro bono legal support service, the Race Discrimination Support Service in sport. He also created the Race Representation Index that analyses equality data of senior representation in sport. He chaired the Department of Health’s Sub-committee on Health and Inclusion, and is the founder of the Sporting Equals Awards, formerly known as the British Ethnic Diversity Sports Awards (BEDSAs).
In 2020, he was awarded an OBE for his tireless work towards equality in sport. In 2023, Arun was named Alumni of 2023 by the University of Central Lancashire and in recognition of his significant contribution to equality, diversity and inclusion within the field of sport and more widely across our communities, Coventry University awarded him with a Degree of Doctor of Arts.
President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester, Professor Nishan Canagarajah, said: “I am delighted that we have honoured Arun, who has devoted his life to championing equality and diversity and has worked with the University to increase diversity on sports boards.
“His work resonates with the values of the University and the communities of Leicester, which is Britain’s first plural city, where no ethnic group forms a majority.
“Through his achievements, Arun practically demonstrates what it is to be a Citizen of Change. His accomplishments provide a measure of the impact that an individual can have upon society and serve as an inspiration for us all.”
