The South Asians in Football Team of the Season will be showcased at Wembley Stadium next month at the 2024 Asian Football Awards.
The 2023/24 Team of the Season, curated by Sky Sports News’ Dev Trehan and former Eastern Eye sports editor Zohaib Rashid, recognises talent and celebrates the on-pitch achievements of British South Asians in The Game.
The Asian Football Awards return to Wembley Stadium on September 25 and will once again be hosted by Sky Sports News transfers guru Dharmesh Sheth.
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Dharmesh Sheth and Sam Tighe discuss whether Liverpool would accept Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk leaving on free transfers next summer given their service to the club
The event is supported by the Football Association, the Premier League, the Professional Footballers’ Association and PGMOL, as well as Kick It Out and the Football Supporters’ Association through the Fans for Diversity campaign.
Hearts attacking midfielder Yan Dhanda won the Up-and-Coming Player accolade at the 2013 awards and has been named in the South Asians in Football Team of the Season for the second season in a row.
“I’m very proud of my background and my ethnicity and I’m proud to be in the Team of the Season again,” Dhanda told Sky Sports News.
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Yan Dhanda hit the cross bar with this stunning effort on his Hearts debut against Rangers on the opening day of the Scottish Premiership season
“I have to keep it up now, and keep my standards high, and try and it make it in every single year. But I’m super-proud to be in the team again.”
Shrewsbury Town full-back Mal Benning told Sky Sports News: “I’m over the moon. It’s a privilege to be named in any Team of the Season and to be named in the South Asians in Football one is something I am very proud and privileged to be a part of.
“There has been a lot of hard work and discipline that has gone into it. You have to stay focused on your work every day, but it’s always a real pleasure to be recognised like this.
“There are not many South Asians in the game so to highlight them in a Team of the Season like this is massive.”
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People from across the game celebrate Sky Sports’ commitment to British South Asians in Football
Millie Chandarana, who was the only South Asian heritage woman with a professional contract in the Women’s Championship last term, also retained her place in the Team of the Season.
Chandarana was an ever-present for Blackburn Rovers and scored her team’s Goal of the Season for the second straight year, before earning a move to Nottingham Forest.
“It’s such an honour to be in the Team of the Season for the second year,” Chandarana told Sky Sports News.
“It was an honour for the first year, but to be named for the second year is really great and it’s brilliant to see so many players who are British South Asian – both male and female – in the Team of the Season.
“That’s something that’s quite unique, I’ve never seen that before. And to be in and around the best names in the country is something that is really special for me.”
Asian Football Awards founder Baljit Rihal said he is thrilled to help bring the British South Asians in Football Team of the Season to the home of English football, particularly when under-representation remains an “overarching issue” across the game.
“Our last awards were in 2017, and so much has happened in the South Asian football space since then,” he added.
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We take a look back on some of the best goals scored by South Asian heritage goal machine Michael Chopra
“There are many stories to be highlighted with people and organisations to be recognised. Yet, the overarching issue of under-representation in professional football for the South Asian community still exists.
“We believe that by reviving the awards, we can help increase awareness and not only encourage more into professional football but also make decision-makers at clubs more aware and be a catalyst to addressing this issue.”
Leicester City midfielder Arjan Raikhy joined Sky Sports News’ Dev Trehan at last year’s launch of the groundbreaking South Asians in Football Team of the Season
FA head of diversity programmes Dal Darroch said: “This will be an important opportunity to celebrate the inspiring work of those who are making a positive impact for South Asian communities across the UK.
“Creating opportunities for South Asian communities is very important to us, and we’re committed to using our influence to help drive this forward.
“We’ve made good progress in this area in recent years, however we know there’s much more work to be done, and it’s crucial that the footballing bodies continue to work together to ensure our game becomes truly representative.
“Asian communities make up the largest ethnic minority groups in the country and ensuring this is better reflected in our game will remain a strategic priority for us for years to come.”
British South Asians in Football
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