Awards presented for exceptional College sporting achievements and good character

St John’s students Bilal Qureshi and Jenny Dunstan have been honoured for their outstanding contribution to College sport at this year’s Annual General Athletics Club Colours Dinner.

The Colours Dinner, as it is known, recognises exceptional achievements and good character in the sports men and women of St John’s.

The Bob Fuller Trophy was awarded to College hockey club president Bilal for outstanding sportsmanship while the Jim Williams Trophy went to Jenny, who was St John’s women’s football captain in the 2021/2022 season and joint captain in the 2022/2023, for her excellent contribution to field sports.

The pair were presented with their prizes by Mark Hancock, husband of Heather Hancock, the Master of St John’s College, at the Colours dinner on 29 April.

Bilal, a fourth-year Clinical Medical student, was Treasurer of St John’s College Hockey Club in his second year, Vice-Captain in his third year, and is currently President of the club, managing its overall running after the unification of the men’s and women’s sides.

Bilal has been described by a peer as ‘the heart’ of the hockey club. “He attends every game and has been the second team captain for two years, and often watches and coaches the whole club. He runs training sessions, sorts countless amounts of admin when unprompted and is always looking for ways that he can improve the club," he added.

“He is the kindest, most thoughtful, and most devoted man I have ever been lucky to meet. He bleeds red for John’s.”

Bilal studied Medicine for his first two years at St John’s before switching to Philosophy for one year, where his supervisors regarded him as an engaged student and ‘highly competent philosopher’. He is also co-president of St John’s Picturehouse film society.

Jenny, a third-year mathematician, is described as an ‘excellent sportswoman with wide-ranging talents and interests’. As well as serving as College football captain, leading her team into division one, she has been a General Athletics Club (GAC) committee member and played in both the College netball team (including Cuppers) and the University’s second netball team, competing in the Varsity match. She also ran the Cambridge Half-Marathon. Her supervisors said Jenny is a very sharp, enthusiastic, interested and dedicated student.

Presenting the prizes after the dinner, Mark Hancock extolled the values of playing sport. “Regardless of which sport it may be and regardless of what level might be played, it has so many benefits. Health and fitness obviously, but also it teaches us to win and it teaches us to lose. To be able to win well and to be able to lose well allows us to deal better with anything that comes our way,” he said.

“Often overlooked, but hugely important, it provides us with an important break from our work or our studies and just as importantly it allows us to create friendships that last a lifetime.”

The Jim Williams Trophy is named after a former Head Groundsman and the winner is selected by Keith Ellis, current Head Groundsman; the winner of the Bob Fuller Trophy, which is named after a former Head Porter, is nominated by peers.

Published: 4/5/2023

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