CHINNA PATEL – PASSIONATE ABOUT SPORT

Chinna is on the left of this picture.

“Enabling young people to get involved with sport is what is important to me,” said local resident, Chinna Patel.

Chinna works at Evington Leisure Centre ( Downing Drive ) as a Health and Fitness instructor. He also devotes lots of voluntary time to coaching and organising football sessions and other sporting activities. He said, “Youngsters need lots of support and advise to help them to get involved with sport and steer them away from drugs and crime.”

The youth teams Chinna has coached have achieved success both regionally and nationally. Members from Chinna's football teams have gone on to play for clubs such as Mansfield Town , Kettering Town , Torquay, Notts. County, Leicester City and Carlisle . Two young prospects are currently playing in the U.S.A. for Nazareth Rochester (NY) and IIT Scarlet Hawks, Illinois .

Another project Chinna is involved with is called ‘Meesha 88'. The idea is that people from different generations, religions, cultures and abilities form a network of support. In the past these schemes have been based in parks, leisure centres and schools and help mentor youngsters and interest them in various things like multi sports, health and fitness, cycling and well-being.