Danny Batth, Mariam Mahmood, Adil Nabi, Asmita Ale, Sunny Singh Gill, Spurs REACH and Simran Jhamat are among those who have enjoyed a good week in the Beautiful Game; our resident expert Dev Trehan brings you the details in the latest edition of South Asians in Football Weekly...
Tuesday 12 March 2024 12:05, UK
The latest edition of South Asians in Football Weekly is out after another eventful week for the community in the Beautiful Game...
Mariam Mahmood and Simran Jhamat both featured for West Brom Women in their Mother's Day clash with Burnley at The Hawthorns.
Jhamat started the game and looked dangerous from the outset, fizzing an effort just over the bar moments before Phoebe Warner opened the scoring for West Brom.
Aimee Kelly hit back for the visitors, before Mahmood came on for Jhamat in a 1-1 draw that keeps West Brom eighth in the Northern Premier League. Burnley stay third.
Asmita Ale came on at half-time in Leicester City's historic win against Liverpool as they reached the semi-finals of the Women's FA Cup for the first time in their history.
Ale, who is on loan from Tottenham, played 45 minutes as Jutta Rantalla scored twice in a 2-0 win for Leicester at Prenton Park.
Adil Nabi's hot streak in front of goal continues with the forward on target with his third goal in four matches in Doxa Katokopias' 2-1 win against AEZ Zakakiou.
Sky Sports News revealed in the last edition of South Asians in Football Weekly that Nabi will feature in Pakistan's squad for their World Cup qualifying double-header against Jordan, provided international clearance is received in time.
The co-founder of award-winning supporters' group Spurs REACH wants the game to come together and deliver a joint strategy to improve South Asian representation in English football.
British South Asians are the largest single ethnic minority group in the country. Despite players like Michael Chopra, Neil Taylor, Hamza Choudhury, Zesh Rehman and Jimmy Carter gracing the Premier League in the past, a player from the community has not played in the top division this season, and looks unlikely to do so.
Spurs REACH launched exclusively on Sky Sports News in May 2022, with the official club supporters' group capping a stunning 18 months by landing the Fans for Diversity accolade at last year's Football Supporters' Association Awards.
Co-founder Sash Patel told Sky Sports News: "I think a South Asians in Football strategy is 100 per cent necessary.
"South Asian representation in football needs to be better, and is required, and we need to ensure people have the opportunity to work through the pathway and succeed in the game.
"We need to make sure it is a level playing field for everybody."
Spurs REACH member Ali Speechly added: "It's definitely something I would support and get behind, especially for South Asian females as well - we know those ballers exist.
"We need to create safer and fairer pathways for them to achieve. We need to support the players that are there to begin with and nurture the talent coming through. It's also important to work with families."
Sunny Singh Gill was praised by both managers after becoming the first British South Asian to referee a Premier League game in Crystal Palace's 1-1 draw at Luton Town.
Jean-Philippe Mateta's early opener at Selhurst Park looked to be the winner until Luton's Cauley Woodrow headed home in the last minute of added time, extending the Eagles' Premier League-leading tally of late goals conceded in the process.
Singh Gill's decision-making was tested early, when Palace protested for what they felt was a Teden Mengi handball, but the ex-prison officer - who comes from a refereeing family - waved play on.
Singh Gill issued his first Premier League booking to Issa Kabore, who took down Lerma with a reckless challenge in the 27th minute, showing his second yellow to Eberechi Eze for a pull on Reece Burke's shirt.
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner said after the game: "It was a good performance. I think it was a good game. It's always a good performance for a referee if he doesn't decide the game for one of the teams.
"His was a good performance. Congratulations to the referee for his first performance in the Premier League."
Luton Town boss Rob Edwards added: "I thought he did really well. I said congratulations and well done to him at the end - and I would have said the same to him even if he had lost the game 1-0 as well.
"I though he had good control, good authority was consistent with his decision-making. I thought he did well."
Danny Batth played 45 minutes in the second half as Norwich City hammered Championship bottom side bottom side Rotherham United 5-0 at Carrow Road.
Batth came on as a half-time replacement for Ben Gibson as the Canaries recorded their biggest win of the 2023/24 season.
Gabriel Sara led the way with a brace to reach double figures for the campaign while Jacob Sorensen, Borja Sainz and the prolific Josh Sargent were also on target
For more stories, features and videos, visit our ground-breaking South Asians in Football page on skysports.com and stay tuned to Sky Sports News and our Sky Sports digital platforms.
