Local community youth leader Basil Talha has a real talent.
When he’s not spending time organising activities promoting integration and leading more than 50 youth and children programmes of reform, the 26-year-old is a competition-winning badminton player.
Basil, from West Ham, has been playing for eight years after finding inspiration from his father.
“My father was a professional badminton player and I always used to go and watch him,” he says.
Basil has had a successful career in the sport. As well as winning many local tournaments, he is ranked in the top 40 in the UK.
In 2014, he won gold in doubles in Cornwall at the Cambridge Silver tournament and a year earlier was a runner-up in singles.
“I was really happy, I worked hard for so long and finally got the results,” he said of his win.
The borough sponsors him to coach badminton across the community, but he has also helped raise funds for national charities.
Next week Basil will begin working with Humanity Affairs to raise money for the Nepal earthquake disaster and feels strongly about the cause.
“It’s to help the people who are in need the most,” he says.
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