Skylet Andrew[1] (born 31 March 1962), often known as Sky Andrew, is an English former Olympian who won three gold medals at the 1989 Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships[2] and was the first Black British sports agent.[3]

SMWW Soccer conference speakers and Faculty Matt Martin (left) and Sky Andrew (right) in 2020.

Sky Andrew
Full nameSkylet Andrew
Nationality England  United Kingdom
Born (1962-03-31) 31 March 1962 (age 62)
Upton Park, London, England
Height6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Medal record
Men's table tennis
Representing  England
European Championships
Silver medal – second place 1988 Paris Team

Biography

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Andrew was born in Upton Park, London, to a London Transport bus driver father, and a mother who worked in an East End pie factory.[4]

Table tennis

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He represented Great Britain at the 1988 Seoul Olympics in the doubles event with Des Douglas[1][5] and won 3 Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship gold medals in 1989 .[2][4] Andrew retired from competitive table tennis after the 1994 European Championships.[6]

Sports agent

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While training at Lilleshall Hall in his youth, Andrew met young footballer Sol Campbell, with whom he struck up a friendship.[7]

After retiring from table tennis, Andrew wanted to get into show business, but ended up becoming an agent, representing acting clients including Martine McCutcheon.[7]

In the mid-1990s at Campbell's suggestion, he became the first licensed Black British football agent, engineering Campbell's move from Tottenham Hotspur to Arsenal.[7] Andrew has since represented Jermaine Pennant, David Ginola, Frank Bruno, Jay Bothroyd and Jermain Defoe. His TV and film clients include Nathalie Emmanuel, Sarah-Jane Mee, and Natalie Sawyer.

In September 2016, in a deal with football agency Platinum One Group, Sky Andrew moved his football business across.

Currently he is also a "Soccer Agent" instructor for the online sports-career training school Sports Management Worldwide, founded and run by Dr. Lynn Lashbrook.[8]

Honors

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Andrew won a Barclays Bank "Man of Merit Award" in 2002, and was named the BEA Entrepreneur of The Year in 2003.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Skylet Andrew". British Olympic Association. Archived from the original on 3 February 2010. Retrieved 9 July 2009.
  2. ^ a b "CTTC 1989-1991 - Commonwealth Table Tennis Federation". comtab.webs.com. Archived from the original on 28 June 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  3. ^ "ITTF_Database". Archived from the original on 17 October 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
  4. ^ a b "Sky Andrew". skyandrew.com. Retrieved 9 July 2009.
  5. ^ "Skylet Andrew". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 30 November 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2009.
  6. ^ "Ask Sky Andrew transcript". BBC Sport. 10 January 2002. Archived from the original on 26 October 2008. Retrieved 9 July 2009.
  7. ^ a b c Smith, Paul (1 July 2001). "Football: SOL REACHED FOR SKY AND STRUCK GOLD; Former table tennis". Sunday Mirror. Archived from the original on 18 December 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2009.
  8. ^ "Sky Andrew | SMWW Mentor | London, United Kingdom". www.sportsmanagementworldwide.com. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
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