Sports medicine specialist Zafar Iqbal received the Sports Personality of the Year award at the 24th annual Asian Achievers Awards in London, recognizing his contributions to professional football, athlete welfare and public health, according to a statement.
The ceremony brought together business leaders, celebrities and sports personalities to recognize British Asian achievements across business and society. The awards have highlighted British Asian talent for more than two decades, the statement noted.
Iqbal’s career in professional football spans more than 20 years, with roles in the medical departments of Leyton Orient, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Crystal Palace and Arsenal. His work has focused on player health, injury prevention and long-term performance, alongside medical governance and inclusion.
Ikram Butt, the first South Asian to represent England in rugby league, highlighted Iqbal’s influence beyond the field.
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“Zafar Iqbal is undoubtedly one of the most influential South Asians in football, and quite frankly, one of the very best across British sport. His journey is a powerful reminder that representation in sport extends far beyond those playing on the field,” Butt said.
According to the statement, Iqbal served as Arsenal’s head of sports medicine and performance during the club’s 2025–26 campaign, when it won the Premier League title and reached the UEFA Champions League final.
Beyond his club responsibilities, Iqbal has chaired the FA Medical Society and the Premier League Doctors Group and contributed to medical governance within the Premier League. The statement credited him with helping raise medical standards across English football, including introducing a match-day emergency checklist that influenced emergency preparedness in Premier League and UEFA competitions.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Iqbal served on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s National Working Group, helping develop guidance for the safe return of sports in the United Kingdom. He also developed and managed COVID-19 protocols for the Pakistan Super League, according to the statement.
For more than a decade, Iqbal has helped develop guidance on supporting Muslim athletes who fast during Ramadan. That work has addressed nutrition, hydration, recovery and performance while respecting players’ religious practices.
The statement also highlighted his advocacy for CPR education and wider access to automated external defibrillators, including contributions to efforts to secure defibrillators in UK schools.
Outside professional club settings, Iqbal has provided pro bono assistance to more than 50 Pakistani footballers and cricketers with complex injuries who might otherwise have faced barriers to specialist sports medicine care, the statement said.
Iqbal described the recognition as personally meaningful and credited the players, medical professionals, coaches and colleagues he has worked with over more than two decades for making his achievements possible.
“As a British Asian, I also understand the importance of representation,” he said, expressing hope that seeing British Asians in leadership roles across elite sports would encourage younger generations to pursue similar opportunities.
Iqbal said his commitment to medicine centers on service, whether helping professional players recover, supporting athletes in Pakistan who lack access to specialist care, improving emergency preparedness or mentoring young doctors.
“The principle is the same: use what you know to make a difference,” he said. “I’m hugely grateful to the Asian Achievers Awards for recognizing that journey.”
