A BIRMINGHAM businessman who has been denied the opportunity to appear on the hit BBC show Dragons Den will do battle later this month in the regions Best Business Innovation Award.
Entrepreneurial wizard Rasib Khan (pictured right with his game) will challenge two other hopefuls on 14th September for the award in recognition of his groundbreaking children’s board game.
The popularity of ‘Alphabet Runner’, which Mr Khan launched earlier this year, has exceeded even the expectations of its inventor having been taken on board by a leading educational supplier and world renowned London toy store Hamleys.
Mr Khan had hoped to secure more funding to make the game widely available across the UK when he applied to take part in the hit BBC show Dragon’s Den.
But despite being turned down twice, he’s hoping to make his mark later this month at the exclusive awards ceremony in Birmingham.
“It’s very sad to have been denied a chance to make a pitch to the Dragons by the BBC considering I want to make learning fun”, he said.
“Having spent £40,000 on an idea I believe will help children all over the world learn English and have fun playing a game”.
But he added he felt “fantastic” that his game had been recognised by the Best Business Innovation Award.
“It feels fantastic”, he said.
“People are starting to recognise that I have invented unique 56 logical alphabet cards that can be used to play many card games but, are also learning to make words”.
Alphabet Runner manages to combine the skill of playing cards and the luck of board games with the ability to help youngsters improve their word power.
Its success already speaks for itself with Mr Khan having secured a contract with Findel Education the largest single supplier of educational products in Europe.
But for now Mr Khan is firmly setting his sights on the Best Business Innovation Award, and with a thumbs up from schoolchildren, he feels he has a strong case.
“I have a strong case, it is a well known fact that children love playing with cards, so why not use the cards to educate children. All the feedback from schools and children is that they love the game”, he said.
By Zakia Yousaf
WIN A COPY OF ALPHABET RUNNER!
The Asian Today has five copies of The Alphabet Runner to give away.
To be in with a chance of winning all you have to do is answer the following question:
WHICH LEADING TOY STORE STOCKS ALPHABET RUNNER?
Is it:
A) Hamleys, B) Cramleys, C) Pamleys
E-mail your answer to zakia@urbanmedialtd.com
Closing date October 6th
