Our Game Too

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're getting there.

Music:

Naraina by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4112-naraina

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

OGT speaks to Chipie Sian manger of Gravesend's Punjab United FC.

What do you do if you can't get the commitment of your Sunday League players? Why set up a semi-pro team of course!

That's exactly what Chipie did and it'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're getting there.

Music:

Naraina by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4112-naraina

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

OGT speaks to qualified referee, Minesh Gupta.

Minesh is one of the country'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.

[email protected]

https://twitter.com/MinGupta

Asians in football... we're getting there.

Music:

Naraina by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4112-naraina

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

OGT speaks to Chas Khera of The FA

Chas has been coaching for a long time and on his 'CV' can boast an impressive array of Premier League footballers.

He's always been proud of his heritage and whether it's being the only turban wearer in a room of 400 people or it'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're getting there.

Music:

Naraina by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4112-naraina

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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 Wembley

Arjan Raikhy MotM FA Youth Cup Final v Liverpool

Otis Khan SF of Play Off

Purewal v Purewal FA Vase

Sameron Dool’s Connah Quay Nomads won Welsh Premier League

Sam Kerr – Chelsea won WSL, Women’s League Cup & got to CL final and she won golden boot

SM Boycott

Hamza Choudhury FA Cup Winner

Riteesh Mishra CAFC Assistant Manager

Hamza Choudhury launching book incl Asian heritage

Bhups and Sunny Gill officiating Championship game

Zidane Iqbal signing pro at Man U

Break in Prem game to allow Ramadan fast breaks

Rosie Kmita hatrick and she went on to win Watford Player of Season

Otis Khan in EFL Trophy Final

Ricky Hill becomes first Asian heritage England player!

Riteesh named Women’s Championship Manager of the mOnth

Dilan Markanday in Spurs’ Europa League squad

Aqsa Mushtaq scores first goal for Roma

AIMS Initiative

Yan Dhanda faces racist abuse online

Apna England group of fans formed (ish) who went on to have a call with Gareth Southgate

Chorley FC in 4th round of FA Cup with Youth coach Irfan Kawri

Mal Benning’s 300th appearance

Mica Richards doc inc Sporting Bengal

Arjan Raikhy – Villa v Liverpool FA Cup 3rd round

Jey Siva – Canvey Island captain in FA Cup 2nd round live ont BT Sport

Greg Clarke comments!

Amrit Bansal McNulty NI debut

Dinesh Gillela not afraid to speak out

Ghayas Zahid

Bala Devi

Baskehir’s players walking off pitch v PSG

Sky Sports launching Asians in Football page

Asians in football... we're getting there.

Music:

Naraina by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4112-naraina

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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's interviewed amongst others NBA legend Shaquille O'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 - @thecoachesnet

IG - @thecoachesnetwork

www.thecoachesnetwork.co.uk

Asians in football... we're getting there.

Music:

Naraina by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4112-naraina

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

OGT speaks to the legend that is Rashid Abba of West Ham.

Rashid first got involved with professional football in the 90'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're getting there.

Music:

Naraina by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4112-naraina

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

OGT speaks to Imrul Gazi for part 2 of our interview concentrating this time on Sporting Bengal and it'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're getting there.

Music:

Naraina by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4112-naraina

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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're getting there.

Music:

Naraina by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4112-naraina

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdbNaw7ZVGI&t=161s&ab_channel=rupaghelani

She's now been inspired to start coaching and will be setting up a Manchester United Asians fan group.

Asians in football... we're getting there.

Music:

Naraina by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4112-naraina

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/