Asians in football. Celebrating the ones that are and discussing the ones that aren&#39;t.

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OGT speaks to Sporting Equals CEO Arun Kang. Sporting Equals are a charity set up originally by Sport England and the Commission for Racial Equality to increase participation and involvement of ethnically diverse communities which they have done by engaging with both communities themselves and the governing bodies of sports. Arun has been working in equality and inclusion for much of his working life and even did his MA in Promoting Equality and Managing Diversity! We discuss his upbringing and how annd why he places so much importance on sport (“health is wealth”) and also discover that growing up he was besties with a certain Gareth Southgate! In a wide ranging interview recorded during and specially for South Asian Heritage Month, we hear about lots of successes in all sports including football. Asians in football... we&#39;re getting there. Music:Naraina by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4112-narainaLicense: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="nofollow">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a>

38 - Arun Kang - Sporting Equality

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OGT speaks to Chipie Sian manger of Gravesend&#39;s Punjab United FC. What do you do if you can&#39;t get the commitment of your Sunday League players? Why set up a semi-pro team of course! That&#39;s exactly what Chipie did and it&#39;s testament to his hard work that Punjab United are currently plying their trade at step 5 of the football pyramid – 5 promotions away from the EFL! We hear about their battles to be accepted, even calling upon the formidable Priti Patel along the way! Chipie also talks about his pride in running an Asian team that is giving Asian youngsters opportunities and fast becoming integral in the community. Lastly we talk about the Football Festival on July 3rd which will feature the 4 highest Asian teams in the football pyramid. Asians in football... we&#39;re getting there. Music:Naraina by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4112-narainaLicense: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="nofollow">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a>

37 - Chipie Sian - Making it Happen

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OGT speaks to qualified referee, Minesh Gupta. Minesh is one of the country&#39;s most experienced refs currently Level 4, and South Asian to boot. He is also an FA Developer, an FA Tutor and sits on the National Wing Member for FA Judicial Services. Why would anyone want to be a referee with all the abuse and scrutiny that comes with it?! Minesh answers honestly, highlights the positives of both the role itself and the positive mental health and self-development it can bring as well as explaining more of referees mindsets and processes before urging more people to take up refereeing as without them, there would be no game! Along the way we took the opportunity to ask more about the structure of refereeing in England, typical match day prep and the qualification process to become a referee. <a href="mailto:Minesh.gupta@btinternet.com" rel="nofollow">Minesh.gupta@btinternet.com</a><a href="https://twitter.com/MinGupta" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/MinGupta</a> Asians in football... we&#39;re getting there. Music:Naraina by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4112-narainaLicense: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="nofollow">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a>

36 - Minesh Gupta Referee - Why On Earth...?

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OGT speaks to Chas Khera of The FA Chas has been coaching for a long time and on his &#39;CV&#39; can boast an impressive array of Premier League footballers. He&#39;s always been proud of his heritage and whether it&#39;s being the only turban wearer in a room of 400 people or it&#39;s bringing over and coaching the national teams of India, Pakistan and The Reggae Boyz, Chas has always stood tall and proud. We discuss coaching, quotas and much more. Asians in football... we&#39;re getting there. Music:Naraina by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4112-narainaLicense: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="nofollow">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a>

35 Chas Khera Standing Tall And Proud

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What a season it has been for Asians in football. We are joined by the legend that Is Anwar Uddin and we discuss the highs and lows (but where they though?!) of the 2020/2021 season where we discuss amongst other things: Yan Dhanda getting to WembleyArjan Raikhy MotM FA Youth Cup Final v LiverpoolOtis Khan SF of Play OffPurewal v Purewal FA VaseSameron Dool’s Connah Quay Nomads won Welsh Premier LeagueSam Kerr – Chelsea won WSL, Women’s League Cup &amp; got to CL final and she won golden bootSM BoycottHamza Choudhury FA Cup WinnerRiteesh Mishra CAFC Assistant ManagerHamza Choudhury launching book incl Asian heritageBhups and Sunny Gill officiating Championship game Zidane Iqbal signing pro at Man UBreak in Prem game to allow Ramadan fast breaksRosie Kmita hatrick and she went on to win Watford Player of SeasonOtis Khan in EFL Trophy FinalRicky Hill becomes first Asian heritage England player!Riteesh named Women’s Championship Manager of the mOnthDilan Markanday in Spurs’ Europa League squadAqsa Mushtaq scores first goal for RomaAIMS InitiativeYan Dhanda faces racist abuse onlineApna England group of fans formed (ish) who went on to have a call with Gareth SouthgateChorley FC in 4th round of FA Cup with Youth coach Irfan KawriMal Benning’s 300th appearanceMica Richards doc inc Sporting BengalArjan Raikhy – Villa v Liverpool FA Cup 3rd roundJey Siva – Canvey Island captain in FA Cup 2nd round live ont BT SportGreg Clarke comments!Amrit Bansal McNulty NI debutDinesh Gillela not afraid to speak outGhayas ZahidBala DeviBaskehir’s players walking off pitch v PSGSky Sports launching Asians in Football page Asians in football... we&#39;re getting there. Music:Naraina by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4112-narainaLicense: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="nofollow">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a>

34 - 2020-21 Season Review With Anwar Uddin

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OGT speaks to Coach Yas of the phenomenally successful Coaches Network podcast. Right now, Coach Yas is an A licence coach, a coach educator, a podcaster and an entrepreneur. He&#39;s interviewed amongst others NBA legend Shaquille O&#39;Neal and Premiership footballers including Sol Campbell, Jason Lee and Jack Wilshere. But coaching is his passion and has brought him not only to where he is now, but more importantly on a journey out of the clutches of crime to being a father and a husband as well as his coaching. Fasicnating interview with someone who is really invested in getting deep into coaching. Twitter - @thecoachesnetIG - @thecoachesnetworkwww.thecoachesnetwork.co.uk Asians in football... we&#39;re getting there. Music:Naraina by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4112-narainaLicense: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="nofollow">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a>

33 - Coach Yas - Driven By Passion

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OGT speaks to the legend that is Rashid Abba of West Ham. Rashid first got involved with professional football in the 90&#39;s with Leicester City starting the very first Asian initiatives and he continues that work today at West Ham. His longevity in the pro game is astonishing in itself whilst he has always been a passionate advocate for Asians in football. His secret? Constantly adapting and looking both back to recognise and learn from past mistakes and being aware of the direction football is going so that he and the many coaches under his wingare always current in thinking and methodology. Asians in football... we&#39;re getting there. Music:Naraina by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4112-narainaLicense: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="nofollow">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a>

32 Rashid Abba - Looking Back to Move Forward

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OGT speaks to Imrul Gazi for part 2 of our interview concentrating this time on Sporting Bengal and it&#39;s relationship with the wider football community. At the time of recording, Sporting along with Sporting Khalsa played at Step 5 of the football pyramid and were the highest placed teams of Asian origin. It has been a difficult journey to this point and the highs have been punctuated by several lows including Imrul leading his team off the pitch mid-game due to racism. We discuss that and the response from the football authorities. Asians in football... we&#39;re getting there. Music:Naraina by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4112-narainaLicense: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="nofollow">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a>

31 Sporting Bengal & The Powers That Be

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OGT speaks to Imrul Gazi, manager of Sporting Bengal. A northerner, Imrul has been living in London for over a decade and has been involved in Tower Hamlets football for that whole period. Tower Hamlets presents a conundrum. It is the definition of a football hot-bed. Nearly 50 Sunday League teams, the area is known for having the highest density of folk of Bangladeshi origin and we know they play football, as a percentage, more than any other ethnicity in the UK. Anwar Uddin is from Tower Hamlets. But where are the rest? We were supposed to talk about Imrul and Sporting Bengal who play in step 5 of the football pyramid but instead the conversation turned into a history of Tower Hamlets football over the last 30 years and a dive into the issues, both internal and external that have prevented the are from producing more players in the English professional game. Can anything be done to get the area to all pull towards the same goal? Do we even know what the goal is? Another fascinating conversation, this will be part 1 of 2 with @ImrulGazi. Asians in football... we&#39;re getting there. Music:Naraina by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4112-narainaLicense: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="nofollow">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a>

30 Imrul Gazi & The Tower Hamlets Hotbed Conundrum

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OGT speaks to Rupa Ghelani who was an inspiration behind the creation of this very podcast! A native Manc, Rupa is a Manchester United season ticket holder and she has worked in the club for the Social Media team and more recently, the club museum. However, it was whilst she was at university and finishing off her Masters that she started looking into the question of why there are so few Asian footballers. As part of her final project, she created a video with an impressive amount of research and contacts tackling the problem of lack of Asians in football. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?ab_channel=rupaghelani&t=161s&v=rdbNaw7ZVGI" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdbNaw7ZVGI&amp;t=161s&amp;ab_channel=rupaghelani</a> She&#39;s now been inspired to start coaching and will be setting up a Manchester United Asians fan group. Asians in football... we&#39;re getting there. Music:Naraina by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4112-narainaLicense: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="nofollow">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a>

29 Rupa Ghelani - Getting Involved

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OGT speaks to Riz Rehman of The PFA who has recently launched the Asian Inclusion Mentoring Scheme (AIMS). Riz Rehman is a former professional footballer who played for Brentford FC. After leaving the game, Riz gained a First-Class degree in Sports Science from Kingston University and embarked on his coaching qualifications with the PFA, currently holding a UEFA B License. Riz is also qualified to work in the post-16 sector and is trained in Talented Athlete Lifestyle Support. He is part of the Education Department at the PFA and works on the Unionlearn &#39;Achievement Through Sport&#39; project that extends the learning, training and educational provision for its members.  Furthermore, Riz works closely with several football clubs and their community trusts supporting the acquisition of skills for employment and education at all levels, while promoting inclusion, equality and community cohesion with a targeted approach to those learners from disadvantaged backgrounds.  Riz is currently Chair of the Surrey FA’s ‘Inclusion Advisory Group’, a director at the Zesh Rehman Foundation https://www.zr-foundation.org/ and on the Advisory Group for the Premier Leagues flagship ‘Elite Coach Apprenticeship Scheme’ . https://twitter.com/RizRrehman Asians in football... we&#39;re getting there. Music:Naraina by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4112-narainaLicense: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="nofollow">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a>

28 Riz Rehman - Asian AIMS

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OGT speaks to Shin Aujla. Shin is a busy bee. He works for Albion Foundation, leads Apna Albion and is an elected member of the FSA&#39;s council. In this fascinating and wide ranging interview we discuss a wide range of topics. Asians in football... we&#39;re getting there. Music:Naraina by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4112-narainaLicense: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="nofollow">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a>

27 Shin Aujla - Man of Many Hats

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OGT speaks to Permi Jhooti who was the original inspiration behind Bend It Like Beckham! We speak about growing up in an era when women&#39;s football wasn&#39;t respected and her almost accidental foray into professional football. This conversation is about themes and its fascinating listening to Permi ruminate on her life and the events that shaped her, including facing racism from within the changing room at Millwall and her thoughts on the perpetrator. Now living in Switzerland, you can find Permi on insta @permijhooti and her website is permijhooti.com Asians in football... we&#39;re getting there. Photo credit: Oliver Look Music:Naraina by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4112-narainaLicense: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="nofollow">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a>

26 - Bend It Like Permi

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OGT speaks to Kevin Yusuf Coleman, currently head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion of Brentford FC (@kevincoleman2 on Twitter). He&#39;s been doing this a long time. And by &#39;this&#39;, I mean working to help minority communities to be involved in sporting organisations. His career has encompassed the LTA and Kick It Out before Brentford FC and their bold and ambitious goal of become the most inclusive club in the country. Most famously, Kevin spent several years at The FA and launched both the previous and current Asian Inclusion plan. One of our most enjoyable conversations with someone who we consider both a friend and an ally. Kevin learns as he goes along and each role builds upon the previous. Brentford are lucky to have him! Asians in football... we&#39;re getting there. Music:Naraina by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4112-narainaLicense: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="nofollow">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a>

25 Kevin Coleman Making Inclusion Happen

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OGT speaks to Abdul &#39;Butch&#39; Fazal, The FA&#39;s Coach Inclusion and Diversity Manager. Butch has been involved in football his whole life and from all aspects, having supported, played and set up clubs. In the past he has also been a critic of the system and was chair of National Asians in Football Forum and if you dig around, you can find old clips of him on YouTube! Now he&#39;s on the other side with The FA. Find out what he brings to them and how he has developed his &#39;rules of engagement&#39;. Passionate about increasing BAME representation at all levels and helping England to win the next World Cup, this is a fascinating and illuminating interview with someone who is right in the mix when it comes to helping more Asians into the pro game. Asians in football... we&#39;re getting there. Music:Naraina by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4112-narainaLicense: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="nofollow">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a>

24 Butch Fazal & The Rules of Engagement

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OGT speaks to Jas Batt of the Birmingham FA. First we had to discuss Social Media and online abuse in the wake of Yan Dhanda, FB and troll in the last week or so before we move onto Jas. Jas started at the bottom and worked his way up. Along the way he has got involved with some of England&#39;s various teams of those with disabilities, The FA and now Premier League clubs too. And there is more to come! Asians in football... we&#39;re getting there. Music:Naraina by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4112-narainaLicense: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="nofollow">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a>

23 Jas Batt - Started At The Bottom & Now...

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A lot has happened that concerns Asians in football this week and that is discussed first by Apu and Zee. Then, OGT speaks to Rachel Pavlou, National Women&#39;s Football Manager at The FA who she has been with for 22 years! In that time Rachel has worked on the Asian Inclusion Strategy which we discuss as well as being central to lots of female specific initiatives. Rachel explains why its important for women to be given equal opportunities in football and she speaks with passion about the great people working really hard to ensure that the national game really is, everybody&#39;s game. Rachel&#39;s email address is womens.football@thefa.com. Asians in football... we&#39;re getting there. Music:Naraina by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4112-narainaLicense: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="nofollow">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a>

22 Rachel & The Importance of Women's Footy

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OGT speaks to Dr Stefan Lawrence of Newman University. You&#39;ll probably recognise him if you look him up. Not only is he featured on the video on our home page around Asians in football, he is frequently in demand by the BBC and Sky whenever they need a soundbite. Stefan brings a unique sociological perspective based on years of study to our conundrum around the lack of Asians in football. <a href="https://twitter.com/StefanoLawrence" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/StefanoLawrence</a> Also we discuss online hate, potential January moves for Asian pros and some of the articles, good and bad that have made it to the mainstream recently. <a href="https://www.qpr.co.uk/news/under-23s-news/u23s-in-profile-dillon-de-silva/" rel="nofollow">https://www.qpr.co.uk/news/under-23s-news/u23s-in-profile-dillon-de-silva/</a> <a href="https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/brighton-academy-layth-gulzar-british-south-asians-football-850952" rel="nofollow">https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/brighton-academy-layth-gulzar-british-south-asians-football-850952</a> And the terrible: <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000rn7h" rel="nofollow">https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000rn7h</a> Firstly there is a presenter who knows nothing about the subject and he asks predominantly leading questions trying to confirm his biases and they promoted it with Portsmouth&#39;s Dinesh Gillela … just one problem, he actually plays for Bournemouth! Asians in football... we&#39;re getting there (no thanks to the BBC!) Music:Naraina by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4112-narainaLicense: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="nofollow">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a>

21 Stefan Lawrence - Learned Ignorance

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OGT speaks to Arun Chaudhuri about Indian football who is an expert writer and commentator. He&#39;s been involved in setting up the ISL and was the initiator of Manchester City Group&#39;s involvement with Mumbai City FC. The common narrative is that India is football mad and there is no room for other sports. But is this true? For first generation immigrants, was football truly an alien concept? We learn some new and surprising info about football in India, including the world&#39;s 3rd oldest football competition and how widespread football really is in India. Fascinating conversation that turns on it&#39;s head many of the stereotypes we in the west tend to have about India and it&#39;s relationship to the world&#39;s game. Asians in football... we&#39;re getting there. Music:Naraina by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4112-narainaLicense: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="nofollow">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a>

20 India And Football - Not What You Think

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OGT speaks with Sanny Rudravajhala. What would you do if the football club that you have supported your entire life no longer exists? When it comes to the story of Bury FC and the phoenix club, Bury AFC, even that question is far from straightforward. Great conversation with Sanny where he tells us about starting a new sports journalism career in his 30s which is strange enough, but also in the midst of a global pandemic! Sanny first came across our radar as he was involved in the excellent Out Of Our League podcast which told the story (and many fascinating tangents) of the (almost) demise of Bury FC and the sometimes acrimonious creation of Bury AFC and along the way delves into the psyche of being a football fan, life in the lower echelons of the football pyramid and lessons that can be learnt to prevent this happening again. On Twitter Sanny can be found at <a href="https://twitter.com/SannyR1985" rel="nofollow">@SannyR1985</a>. The brilliant <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08q9nr2" rel="nofollow">Out of Our League is a BBC Sounds podcast</a>. We&#39;d be humbled if you can like, share and perhaps even leave us a review. Asians in football. We&#39;re getting there. Music:Naraina by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4112-narainaLicense: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="nofollow">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a>

19 Life Changing & Changing Lives

Asians in football

There are more Asians in football than you would think but nowhere near as many as there should be.  Join us as celebrate the ones that are and discuss the ones that aren't.