Joe & Maggie Forber Honoured by BBC as Unsung Heroes

By Sam Neter on November 21, 2013

Joe and Maggie Forber have been recognised for their efforts for basketball in Manchester after being honoured by the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, as the North West’s Unsung Heroes, Anthony Jepson reports.

The couple have put in endless hours to help basketball over the course of their lives, primarily for the Greater Manchester Youth Basketball Club, based out of the Amaechi Basketball centre since 2001 after their initial launch in 1997.

Former England basketball and NBA star, John Amaechi, who was first coached by Joe Forber, paid tribute to the duo.

“This award usually goes to people who have achieved fantastic things over the course of the year,” he said to the Manchester Evening News.

“But Joe and Maggie have been doing this for a lifetime, giving decades of their time and effort to individuals and the continued success of the centre. I’d rather they did a bit less now because they deserve to rest a little because of their age.

“They have put in a phenomenal amount of work for a long time – not just since the centre has been around. They will be embarrassed because they shun personal publicity but the award is well deserved.”

The Manchester Magic programme have been a regular fixture in the Final Fours across all age groups, male and female, winning countless titles over the past 15+ years and providing an outlet for thousands of players across the North West.

The award at North West level means they are now nominated for the national Unsung Heroes Award, announced at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards in December.

Read the full story over at Manchester Evening News and watch the BBC’s video covering the story here.

Image Credit: Manchester Evening News

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