SU Summer Elections 2025 – VP Sports Interviews: Shahid

As part of the Warwick Students’ Union (SU) Summer Elections, The Boar offered all candidates for the Vice President for Sports election an opportunity to answer questions outlining their manifesto, experiences, and aims for the role. 

Shahid, one of the six candidates for the position, discussed his manifesto and aims with The Boar’s News and Sport teams. He outlined his key pledges, including increased communication, support systems, and increasing performance, as well as discussing other plans including for accessibility and inclusion. 

What are your key manifesto pledges? 

As your VP Sports, I will:

• Rock Up and Play Interactive Experience: Video tours, chatbot wayfinding, 60+ games teaser reels, and one-tap sign-up to make joining any sport effortless and easy.
• Transparent Communication: Roll out a digital ‘Sports Voice’ platform, a simple feedback portal directly linked to the VP Sports inbox, with monthly “you said, we did” reports.
• Equity for All: Live budget dashboard, bi-monthly town halls, and equal social media coverage so every club and every student get the same support.
• Support Systems & Inclusivity: Club-level mental-health officers, injury-recovery fund, anonymous athlete helpline, and mixed-ability leagues.
• Fun-First Engagement: Point-based attendance rewards, a four-week Warwick Sports Month, and regular pop-up events to keep sport exciting.
• Sustainability & Legacy: Kit-swap drives, tree-planting per Varsity ticket, sports NFTs to fund clubs, and inter-university partnerships.
• Performance Support: Establish a ‘Performance Fund’ to subsidise travel, coaching, and equipment for high-achieving BUCS and non‑BUCS clubs.

An investigation by The Boar earlier this year found that 91% of students find the cost of a Warwick Sports Pass too high. How do you plan to decrease the price of sport at Warwick and make it more accessible to students?

I understand and recognise that 91% of students feel priced out of Warwick Sport. I am not here to pledge that I will be able to reduce the prices drastically but I can pan out multiple ideas to shift the fundings and revenue from activities as your VP Sports, and make the sport more affordable and more accessible.

1. Corporate Sponsorships & Grants: Leverage my experience as the head of Make A Difference and Radio Hub (NGOs based In India), securing £13.5 lakhs in fundraising to bring in local business and alumni sponsorship for discounted member rates.
2. Bulk‑Buy Discounts: Co-ordinate with sports clubs to buy block bookings (e.g., 50 badminton sessions) to lower per‑session costs, passing savings on to students (a win for bunches of friends who want to get the Warwick experience and pay less).
3. Pass Model: Partner with Warwick Sport to introduce bronze, silver, and gold passes – students can choose 5, 10, or unlimited sessions at scaled prices.

How would you seek to support and improve sports clubs performance in both BUCS tournaments and non-BUCS competitions in the year ahead? 

To improve sports clubs performance in both BUCS tournaments and non-BUCS competitions in the year, I plan to divert funds collected through SU, fundraising, and NFT revenue (something I plan to introduce) and create a co-pot fund with the help of SU and alumni for equipment, travel and such, introduce mentorship programme for each and every sport, bring in my data-driven experience as an analyst, and provide workshops.

• Performance Fund: A central pot co‑funded by SU and alumni, offering up to a certain hundred pounds per team per term for coaching, equipment, and travel.
• Inter‑Club Workshops: Monthly clinics led by top‑performing captains (e.g., national badminton seeding insights) to share best practices in training, nutrition, and mental preparation.
• Data‑Driven Feedback: Introduce post‑match analytics sessions, using simple Excel dashboards for each club to track win/loss ratios, attendance, and injury rates.
• Mentorship Programme: Pair emerging clubs with established ones (e.g., rugby with hockey) to exchange expertise in fundraising, recruiting, and game‑day logistics.

One conversation currently being had across campus is about transgender rights and inclusion policies. How would you ensure that trans students continue to be included in sports at Warwick, particularly in light of the recent Supreme Court ruling? And how do you plan to promote diversity and accessibility in sport more widely too?

“Inclusion isn’t optional, it’s the standard.”

In light of the recent Supreme Court ruling and the ongoing conversations across campus, I’m committed to making Warwick Sport a space where every student feels seen, valued, and empowered.

Here’s how I’ll lead this change:

• Sport For All Events: Hosting regular, inclusive tournaments and taster sessions that celebrate diversity in all forms.
• Pride Month Takeover: Transforming the Sports Hub into a vibrant space of pride and visibility every June and building this into a year-round celebration of inclusion.
• Club Constitutions with Trans-Inclusive Guidelines: Introducing mandatory clauses that ensure all clubs follow inclusive practices, with a minimum benchmark for active trans and non-binary participation.
• Trans Athlete Ambassador: Appointing a dedicated voice to represent and advocate for trans students in sport, from club decisions to SU policy.
• Mixed Ability Leagues: Launching leagues that celebrate the joy of sport without traditional divisions, open to everyone, regardless of ability or background.
• Accessibility Grants: Offer micro‑grants (up to £200) for clubs to purchase adaptive equipment (e.g., wheelchair basketball chairs) or fund inclusion training workshops.

Sports clubs at Warwick have often been the focus of criticism and scrutiny for dangerous and non-inclusive socials, including circling and ‘initiations’ (adoptions). An investigation for the upcoming Boar print found that 40% of students felt pressured to take part in sports socials, and only 50% had to sign an agreement form before adoptions. How would you ensure that execs create a safe environment for their club members at these events? 

This issue boils down to group bias thinking and the need to be inclusive within the team they are participating. So, players who don’t want to participate end up participating because they want to fit in – especially if they are new. To destroy this bias thinking and make sure the socials are safe and super inclusive, I aim to:

• Mandatory Accreditation: Introducing a ‘Safe-Socials’ training module that execs must complete covering consent, bystander intervention, and mental health first aid before running any event.
• Standardised Codes of Conduct: Creating a social contract that clubs must produce and sign including zero tolerance for hazing, circling, or pressured drinking.
• On‑Night Welfare Teams: Fund two designated welfare officers per social, trained by Nightline and the SU, to monitor, de‑escalate, and support anyone in distress.
• Anonymous Reporting: Integrate a QR code at every social exit linking to an anonymous incident‑reporting form, with guaranteed follow‑up within 48 hours.

Communication between the VP Sports and sports clubs and their members is key to ensuring an open and transparent dialogue. How do you plan on ensuring students have a sufficient way of voicing their opinions and problems with you?

This is one of the key pledges of my manifesto, to bring the best out of sport communication. To make this more transparent and easier to understand, I aim to:

• Digital “Sport’s Voice” Portal: (UoW Sport App) where any student can submit ideas, complaints, or praise directly to the VP Sports mailbox with public monthly response log.
• Monthly “Tea & Tactics” Forums: Casual drop‑in sessions in Rootes Café, open to all no appointment needed, to discuss club issues face‑to‑face.
• Bi-monthly town halls: This will require every club representative and coach to present achievements, challenges, and detailed budget usage to ensure complete transparency.
• Regular Newsletters: Termly e‑bulletins summarising feedback received, actions taken, upcoming sport developments, club of the month etc.

During the Spring Elections, the sole candidate for the VP Sports position was criticised for having a so-called ‘joke candidacy’. What can you say to the Warwick student community to show your candidacy isn’t a ‘joke’ one, and that you have what it takes to become the next VP Sports? 

“This is not a joke. It’s a story, an important one”

Sport has always been more than medals or matches for me. It gave me structure, strength, and identity. I have deep respect for what sport can do for a person and that’s exactly why I’m running.

I believe sport should be fun, not just competitive. Every Warwick student deserves to have their own story behind the sport they play, not just scores, but memories. And that’s the experience I want to create accessible, inclusive, high-performance sport where every student belongs.

Here’s why I’m not a “joke” candidate:

• Proven Track Record: As a nationally seeded badminton player and team captain for four years, I’ve led teams to victory while managing logistics, training schedules, and player development.
• Fundraising & Strategy Expertise: I’ve raised over £1 million through targeted campaigns and improved student business profits by 7.9%, skills I’ll bring to making sport more affordable and performance-driven.
• Inclusive Leadership: I launched “Barefoot Counselling” to train students in mental health first aid, directed 88+ live shows to build student engagement, and led diverse, impactful campus initiatives. I build safe spaces and sport should be one of them.

You can read Shahid​’s manifesto here. Voting in the SU Summer Elections opened on Monday 26 May, and will remain open until 12pm midday on Friday 30 May, with results published shortly after.