UK B-Boy Champs Manchester

What an absolute joy to be at the UK B-Boy World Champs yesterday at Factory International.

Thank you to Yawar Abbas and the team at Manchester Active and to Manchester City Council for making it all happen. Wonderful to see it on its 30th birthday and to celebrate UK pioneer Oliver Whittle.

I remember learning about the b-boys in the years leading to the London 2012 Olympic Games, when Debbi Lander put it on to our radar in the North West. Seeing breaking in Paris in 2024 was fantastic, but this event in Manchester was so much more powerful.

If it makes it back to the Games after LA28 Olympic & Paralympic Games, then it needs to recreate this kind of vibe. The competitors are as athletic as I've ever seen at an elite sports competition, but the spirit of support while battling is unlike any other event. The creativity, the humour, the self-expression, it's just got so much.

I wonder how many kids would continue this level of physical activity if we pivoted some of gymnastics teaching in schools to breaking training. We really need to grow boys and girls participation. The music, the culture, the whole aesthetic and the values are everything that sports need to become.

Great to see Sam Matthews, James Hope-Gill, Born Barikor and to nearly catch Jo Ahmed MBE and Nihal Arthanayake!

I can't wait for next year's recently announced Manchester Drop, which will be our new Urban Sport and Culture fest in MCR.