A story of survival, resistance, and hope in the age of the Taliban, My Beautiful Sisters charts Popal’s journey from Afghan national team captain to global advocate for women’s rights. The book has been described by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai as “riveting, heart-wrenching and incredibly important… an inspirational story for girls and women everywhere.”

Fourteen awards were presented this evening at the Charles Tyrwhitt Sports Book Awards, with Sir Chris Hoy winning Autobiography of the Year for his powerful memoir All That Matters, as voted for by the public. In a closely contested poll with over 10,000 votes, Jimmy Anderson and Katarina Johnson-Thompson placed second and third respectively.

Johnny Sexton, Ireland’s legendary fly-half, was awarded the Charles Tyrwhitt Rugby Book of the Year for Obsessed—a compelling and candid chronicle of a defining era in Irish rugby.

Roddy Bloomfield, widely regarded as the doyen of sports publishing, was honoured with a special Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by The Times cricket correspondent Michael Atherton, with heartfelt tributes from Sir Alex Ferguson & Alan Shearer.

In its second year of partnership with headline sponsor Charles Tyrwhitt – the menswear brand renowned for championing sportspeople who embody values of excellence and integrity – the 2025 Sports Book Awards were presented during a grand ceremony at the Kia Oval, hosted by Mark Pougatch. The event was attended by a distinguished group of guests, including Danny Care, Steph Houghton, Dominic Holland, Felix White, Christine Ohuruogu, Miles Jupp, Guillem Balagué, Jacquie Beltrao, Michael Atherton, and many others.

Commenting on the event, Charles Tyrwhitt’s Chief Marketing Officer, Joe Irons, said:

“We’re proud to be back as sponsors of the 2025 Sports Book Awards. As a menswear brand with deep roots in the world of sport through our partnerships with England Rugby, Fulham FC, the New York Jets, and most recently, the NY Yankees and The British & Irish Lions – this event is one we’re especially excited to support.

Sports books have a unique way of capturing the highs and lows that define the games we love – and this year’s line-up is incredibly competitive. We were excited to see which stories won the awards and delighted to celebrate with the writers behind them.”

 

All That Matters by Sir Chris Hoy, written with Matt Majendie, won the Charles Tyrwhitt Autobiography of the Year, in association with The Sunday Times. This powerful and deeply personal memoir, in which the cycling legend opens up about his cancer diagnosis and shares his unwavering determination to find hope and happiness on the home straight, won the public vote. The runners-up in the Autobiography public vote were Jimmy Anderson and Katarina Johnson-Thompson, who placed second and third respectively.

Reflecting on his win, Sir Chris Hoy said:
"Thank you so much for this award — it is a massive honour, and it means a great deal to me. It is not a book which I could have foreseen having to write, but in the situation I find myself in, with my cancer diagnosis, I think it has been a significant part of the process of coming to terms with it — and hopefully helping other people too."

 

My Beautiful Sisters by Khalida Popal was awarded the prestigious overall Sports Book of the Year, as well as the Vikki Orvice Award for Women’s Sports Writing, in association with LoveReading. Named in honour of the late trailblazing sports journalist, the Vikki Orvice Award celebrates outstanding contributions to women's sports writing and the voices that inspire progress and change. My Beautiful Sisters is a powerful memoir of survival, sisterhood and resistance in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. Former football captain Khalida Popal recounts her fight for women's rights in sport, her exile, and the daring international effort to rescue her teammates after Kabul's fall — a story of courage, teamwork and hope.

Obsessed by Johnny Sexton, written with Peter O’Reilly, was named the Charles Tyrwhitt Rugby Book of the Year, selected by the Rugby Union Writers’ Club. Intense, witty, perceptive and frank, the memoir offers a compelling chronicle of a defining era in Irish rugby, cementing Sexton’s legacy both on and off the pitch. A veteran of two British & Irish Lions tours, Sexton has recently been named as part of Andy Farrell’s coaching team for the upcoming 2025 Lions tour. The award is especially fitting given that headline sponsor Charles Tyrwhitt is the official menswear partner of the British & Irish Lions.

Johnny Sexton expressed his gratitude, saying: “I’m absolutely honoured to receive this award. I’d like to thank Peter O’Reilly for his outstanding work and for helping me tell my story so candidly.”

 

Rebecca Achieng Ajulu-Bushell was awarded the Pinsent Masons Sports Writing Award for her powerful debut, These Heavy Black Bones. A former double British Champion and the first Black woman to swim for Great Britain, Ajulu-Bushell’s memoir explores the intense pressures of elite sport. As her body and mind are shaped by gruelling training, media scrutiny, and the challenges of adolescence, she charts her rise in the world of competitive swimming and ultimately, the reasons she chose to walk away.

States of Play by Miguel Delaney won the Football Book of the Year category. It’s a gripping account of how football has been taken over by the world's wealthiest businessmen, state-backed corporations, media tycoons and oil-rich oligarchs.

The Life-Changing Magic of Skateboarding by Olympic medallist Sky Brown, illustrated by Shaw Davidson, was named Children’s Sports Book of the Year, supported by the National Literacy Trust and Waterstones. In this vibrant and inspiring addition to the Life-Changing Magic series, Sky introduces young readers to the thrills of skateboarding—sharing tips, tricks, and techniques, while celebrating the joy and empowerment that come from mastering a life-changing skill.

Richie Benaud's Blue Suede Shoes by David Kynaston & Harry Ricketts won the SBI UK Cricket Book of the Year. This Ashes classic is told in vivid and immersive detail, recreating the intense and sometimes agonising experience of millions of armchair viewers and listeners as they followed the drama of one of cricket’s most iconic rivalries.

The newly introduced Golf Book of the Year, in association with Golf’s Greatest Holes, was awarded to The Tiger Slam by Kevin Cook. This thrilling narrative captures the greatest season in golf history, as Tiger Woods triumphed in the 2000 US Open, the Open Championship, and the PGA Championship, before securing the 2001 Masters. His extraordinary achievement made him the first and only golfer to hold all four professional major titles simultaneously.

The Francis Clark Financial Planning International Sports Book of the Year was awarded to Searching for Novak by Mark Hodgkinson. The compelling biography of Novak Djokovic, widely regarded as the greatest male tennis player of all time, delves into his past, his personal beliefs, and the factors that have shaped him into one of the most enigmatic and successful sports figures in history. This in-depth account explores the events and experiences that have defined his extraordinary career.

The Good, the Bad & the Rugby – Unleashed by Alex Payne, James Haskell, and Mike Tindall won the Kicking Goat Sports Entertainment Book of the Year. In this no-holds-barred memoir, the rugby megastars take readers behind the scenes of their hugely successful podcast The Good, The Bad & The Rugby. With plenty of outrageous anecdotes from their tours, friendships, and rugby journeys, the trio reveals the highs, lows, and everything in between, leaving no story untold in this entertaining and candid book.

Susie Chan was awarded the Sports Performance Book of the Year for Trails and Tribulations. An icon in the world of endurance running, Chan has defied the odds to complete the legendary Marathon des Sables more times than any other UK female, set the 12-hour treadmill world record, and become one of the first women to finish all the World Marathon Majors. In this inspiring memoir, her passion for the sport shines through as she shares her remarkable journey and the challenges she’s overcome.

This year, the JP Marland Charitable Trust Illustrated Book of the Year was awarded to Matthew Caldwell and Alan Dein for One Shilling. The book explores how a new generation created extraordinary visual identities for the trusty matchday programme.

The Charles Tyrwhitt Sports Book Awards were honoured to present the Lifetime Achievement Award to Roddy Bloomfield. Roddy Bloomfield is a distinguished and much-respected figure in British sports publishing, renowned for his remarkable contributions to the genre over many decades. Working at publisher Hodder & Stoughton, he has played a central role in shaping the way sporting stories are told, read, and remembered—bringing the voices of athletes to life and helping to capture the drama, passion, and human spirit of sport in print.

The Charles Tyrwhitt Sports Book Awards are judged by an esteemed judging academy, which includes: Amy Williams, Shanequa Paris, Sir Tim Rice, Rory Kinnear, Miles Jupp, Guillem Balagué, Mark Pougatch, Christine Ohuruogu, Mark Chapman, Sue Anstiss, Jill Douglas, Jacquie Beltrao, Annie Vernon, Simon Brotherton, Kelly Simmons, Simon Halliday, Dean Wilson, Todd Harris, Emma Paton, Damian Hopley, Natalie Pike, and Mark Chapman.

The Charles Tyrwhitt Sports Book Awards, in association with The Sunday Times, are grateful to our sponsors and partners, including Charles Tyrwhitt, The Sunday Times, National Literacy Trust, Waterstones, Pinsent Masons, Kicking Goat, The JP Marland Charitable Trust, Rugby Union Writers' Club, LoveReading, Francis Clark Financial Planning, SBI UK and Agile Ideas.