Wolves defender Kam Kandola options in a first-of-its-kind kids’s soccer exercise e book revealed throughout South Asian Heritage Month.
Sikh-Punjabi central defender Kandola, 19, is Wolverhampton born and bred, and has performed throughout all ages group for Wolves as he chases his dream of enjoying within the Premier League for his hometown membership.
Kandola, who went to Thomas Telford – the identical college attended by 2021 Aston Villa FA Youth Cup winner Arjan Rakhy – is featured within the e book alongside Arsenal senior academy physiotherapist Zubair Haleem and Southampton assistant academy director Natasha Patel.
The youngsters’s exercise e book, referred to as ‘All Stars’, is produced by Massive Concepts and accompanies a ‘Day within the Life’ video made by The Media Group, aiming to recognise and honour gamers and practitioners of South Asian heritage, who kind a part of soccer’s present workforce.
A concise historical past of the British South Asian footballers who’ve graced the Premier League, written by Sky Sports activities’ British South Asians in Soccer journalist Dev Trehan, additionally options within the e book.
Trehan has additionally penned a collection of South Asians in Soccer quiz and multiple-choice trivia questions referred to as Get Good with Dev, that are showing in print format for the very first time.
The books shall be offered to kids collaborating in Thursday’s Premier League Rising Expertise competition at Loughborough – which sees groups comprised predominantly of South Asian gamers (U9-U12) representing Arsenal, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Leicester Metropolis, Leeds United and West Ham United.
Thursday’s occasion builds on final yr’s Rising Expertise Festivals held with West Ham and Leicester Metropolis, and a Expertise ID summit at Villa Park.
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The Premier League says it’s dedicated to creating environments for younger folks to realize their greatest on and off the pitch, with the historic and present under-representation of South Asian gamers in academies and the skilled sport recognized as a precedence space throughout the organisation’s No Room for Racism Motion Plan.
‘An amazing second’
Talking completely to Sky Sports activities Information, Kam’s father stated: “As a household and as a neighborhood, we’re all immensely happy with Kam, who has proven exemplary dedication and dedication to try to make it on the highest stage.
“Kam has been brilliantly supported by folks at each stage of the soccer membership, and we’re particularly grateful to the Wolves coaches and academy workers who’ve put their religion in Kam’s skill.
“It truly is an incredible second to see his story seem in print like this. All of us hope it will possibly assist encourage the present and future generations of British South Asians in English soccer.”
‘What’s wanted is extra publicity’
The Punjabi Wolves informed Sky Sports activities Information: “That is good. It is very a lot wanted and nicely overdue. South Asian gamers haven’t been highlighted sufficient.
“What the Punjabi Wolves have managed to do within the stands [by improving diversity and representation] is what we need to see occur on the pitch. For no matter motive – that is not taking place.
“What’s wanted is extra publicity, extra folks studying and extra folks impressed as a result of the door is now barely ajar. Earlier than, it wasn’t.”
Leicester so as to add Raikhy to their ranks
Leicester Metropolis are poised to announce the signing of FA Youth Cup winner and former Aston Villa midfielder Arjan Raikhy, Sky Sports activities Information can completely reveal.
Sky Sports activities Information revealed earlier this month that Punjabi wonderkid Raikhy was set to determine upon his future, amid curiosity in his providers from golf equipment throughout the divisions. Raikhy is anticipated to initially hyperlink up with Leicester’s U21s.
Raikhy shot to prominence after a surprise objective towards Chelsea for Villa’s U18s again in November 2020.
The technically-gifted midfielder made his senior first-team debut simply two months later in an FA Cup third-round tie towards Liverpool, a second described by supporters’ group Punjabi Villans as “unbelievable”.
Raikhy ended a memorable season by establishing Ben Chrisene’s opener in a 2-1 victory towards Liverpool as Villa’s U18s lifted the FA Youth Cup.
The central midfielder loved one other productive marketing campaign the next season as he earned the excellence of serving to two groups – Stockport County and Grimsby City – get promoted again to the Soccer League throughout two separate mortgage spells.
Regardless of impressing for Villa throughout their winter break in Dubai forward of final yr’s World Cup, Raikhy was one in every of eight gamers – together with Ashley Younger and Jed Steer – launched on the finish of final season.
Raikhy attends Sporting Khalsa vs Punjab United
Raikhy and fellow Sikh-Punjabi skilled footballer Mal Benning appeared at an occasion earlier this month to have fun South Asians in The Recreation, held forward of Sporting Khalsa’s pre-season pleasant towards Punjab United.
Each golf equipment got here along with the Soccer Affiliation and Three Lions to make 200 match tickets obtainable to the neighborhood without spending a dime, with a showcase occasion held beforehand – shining a light-weight on gamers from South Asian backgrounds, who’ve shattered the glass ceiling to play aggressive soccer in England.
Visitors loved a Expertise ID taster session and had the chance to study extra concerning the gamers that featured in a first-of-its-kind Workforce of the Season, created by Sky Sports activities Information journalist and FA Degree 2 scout Dev Trehan and Desi Ballers founder Zohaib Rashid.
Sporting Khalsa’s sport with Punjab United was the third annual fixture for the 2 groups, with the match fittingly ending 3-Three after Punjab United mounted a late comeback from 3-1 right down to earn a share of the spoils.
A conventional Punjabi drummer had earlier led the groups onto the pitch for a match that was officiated by the primary turbaned Sikh referee in English soccer league historical past, Jarnail Singh.
Singh, whose elder son Sunny Singh Gill is the nation’s highest-ranked British South Asian referee, presided over the sport as a part of a South Asian officiating crew, with the goal of showcasing refereeing expertise and pathways into the sport.
FA to recruit and retain 1000 numerous refs
In the meantime, The Soccer Affiliation will unveil formidable new plans to recruit and retain 1,000 new referees from numerous backgrounds within the subsequent three years, Sky Sports activities Information can completely reveal, within the hope of drastically altering the tradition of grassroots soccer.
The landmark new FA technique shall be launched on Thursday, with the goal of encouraging extra folks from under-represented communities to contemplate getting concerned in soccer, and refereeing.
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While the Skilled Recreation Match Officers Ltd (PGMOL) organises referees and assistants on the elite stage, it’s nonetheless supportive of this new FA initiative, within the hope that extra black and South Asian referees will make it into the skilled sport in future.
British South Asians in Soccer
For extra tales, options and movies, go to our groundbreaking South Asians in Soccer web page on skysports.com and South Asians within the Recreation weblog and keep tuned to Sky Sports activities Information and our Sky Sports activities digital platforms.
