Celebrating South Asian Heritage Month: Discussing Diversity, Representation and Personal Journeys in Football
Lily Young
In the latest episode of the Beyond The Pitch podcast, we were joined by Farah Chowdhury, chair of the Arsenal Women’s Supporter Club, The Kickback’s Nirali Sisodia and former England goal-keeper Aman Dosanj. As a collective, we talk candidly about representation and South Asian Representation in Women’s Football, the importance of South Asian Heritage Month and Farah, Nirali and Aman touch on their own personal journeys within the sport.
Farah Chowdhury, the Chair of the Arsenal Women Supporters Club, leads a fan-driven organisation dedicated to celebrating and supporting women’s football. Speaking with Beyond the Pitch, she reflected on her journey through the world of football, highlighting her experiences as both a player and a devoted fan. She remembers the moment she became a supporter of women’s football because of Rachel Yankey, and the powerful representation Yankey brought to the sport.
“I was very lucky to watch Rachel Yankey play for the first time… I’d never seen women play before and I had no idea about women’s football… after I saw her play, I think seeing that representation and yeah, she was that player for me who just got me hooked really”.
Growing up in Leicester, Nirali shared insights into her formative years, revealing how her passion for football was kindled by her father. He would take her to Leicester City Football matches, where she had the unique experience of being the mascot. Nirali emphasised that her journey into football is not representative of every South Asian individual’s experience, challenging common misconceptions about the diversity of paths within the sport.
“My football journey, it really started with my dad. My dad used to take me to Leicester city football matches, I used to be like the mascot for them and I used to play football in school… always playing football around the park with the boys out till ten o’clock at night”.
Nirali grew up without exposure to women's football on television. Playing the sport, her mother noted her potential but admitted that they were unaware of the pathways and opportunities available to help Nirali pursue a more professional route, as such avenues were not well-known in their community.
“We had no idea this could be a career or anything like that… there want pathways aware to our community that we could actually access”
It was a single women's football match at Meadow Park that illuminated the stark lack of diversity in the sport for her.
“I was very acutely aware that I was one of the very few brown people in the crowd. By nature, I’m a scientist so... my curiosity was like “why is this? What’s going on?” and it led me to do more research, more research, more research. I reached out to a lot of South Asian footballers… and you know we got to talking, got to understanding about what the climate is like what the environment is like, just networking”.
Seated alongside Nirali was Aman Dosanj, former England and Arsenal Women goalkeeper. Aman offered an insightful perspective, as well as a look into her journey both on and off the pitch.
“He [Aman’s brother] used to take me out to the garden and fire shots at me… we were always in the garden. On one side of the garden, we had cricket stamps and the other side we had a football goal”.
Aman recounted her early experiences playing for her school team, where she was often the sole girl among her peers. She resonated with Farah’s comments about Rachel Yankey, noting that Yankey was someone she looked up to as well. Aman also reflected on her career as a professional athlete, sharing insights into her experiences in the evolving landscape of women’s football.
“I was a goalkeeper, my coach was Sue Buckett, so Sue was in the very first England squad after the 50-year ban so she actual holds legacy cap number one”
“After I played for England, we went over for pre-season tournament in Ireland I was on the same team as Rachel Yankey, and I guess the rest is history now”.
As active participants in their cultural heritage, both Nirali and Farah have played a significant role in South Asian Heritage Month. Farah elaborated on the significance of South Asian Heritage Month, sharing her personal involvement and outlining the steps needed to further elevate the South Asian community’s visibility and contributions within the sport.
“I am going to spotlight the south Asian fans that we have across the Arsenal fan base. To me it is showcasing that talent, giving people in our community a voice and a platform to showcase the amazing work that is being done that people aren’t aware of”.
“There is so much work that needs to be done. We have an incredible community, but people don’t want to acknowledge it, I think the South Asian community fall behind in many aspects of the game and I think when people hear diversity there not thinking about the south Asian community”
“There’re parts of women’s football where diversity is great its inclusive people think that’s it it’s a very safe place if you, you can be whoever you want to be in the women’s space, that is celebrated massively but there’s another part of diversity that people just don’t talk about, and the South Asian community gets left behind”.
Having been involved in women's football for more than twenty years, Aman has witnessed the sport's remarkable evolution and expansion. Drawing on her extensive experience, she offered valuable insights into the steps necessary to enhance diversity within women’s football. She emphasised that fostering greater inclusivity is essential for ensuring broader representation and advancing the sport as a whole.
“The biggest thing is that there’s still a misconception that South Asian’s don’t play football which is completely untrue, in my little brown kid brain when I was growing up, I played with my brother I played with cousins, I played with family I played at school you know that was never a conversion until white people brought it to my attention”
“There’s so much that can be done, I think the first thing is to give us platforms to share our stories we all have different stories to share… I can only represent myself in a way because like my background is very different from someone else’s. I think, what’s frustrating is I’ve been having these conversations, I’ve been fighting this fight since I was 12 years old… I was one of 14 ‘For All’ ambassadors for the FA and 14 Is not a long number so for our stories to then get erased later down the line”
“I played for England in 1999, and signed on for Arsenal when I was 16 and all these years have passed and there so many people who didn’t know that there ever was brown person a brown woman to play for Arsenal”
She referenced a blog sent to her by Nirali, expressing her concern that it excludes South Asians from the broader conversation.
“To have a line saying that South Asian’s have pretty much been non-existent in the sport knowing full well I had played, completely erase me and erases us from this conversation… after all these years my story is still important”
Nirali voiced her concern that South Asian perspectives often go unheard. She underscored that the world is far more diverse than a black-and-white view, with South Asians, East Asians, and a multitude of other communities contributing to its richness.
Farah, on the other hand, spoke about recent impact on the community, expressing she wished the club did more to speak up. She then explored her role as Chair – advocating for change, using her platform to address these issues and amplify voices within the community.
“I wish the club would have spoken up, with the amount of what our values are as the club and what this club represents but last year, I learnt a lot about people. I learnt a lot about processes and learnt a lot about how I can make an impact I don’t work for the club officially but still have an impact within the fanbase the Whole committee does, I can definitely, if I want to see change, I am going to have to lead the way and do something and with the help of so many others”
“I have an opportunity to be a voice and that something that I learnt massively last year”
While acknowledging the ongoing need for growth and greater inclusion within women's football and the broader community, Nirali highlights that South Asian Heritage Month stands as a testament to celebration and resilience. It is a time to honour the achievements, overcome challenges, and embrace the rich diversity that South Asians contribute to the cultural tapestry.
“We are working with a lot of people to kind of project positivity, South Asian Heritage Month is also about celebration overcoming these barriers and challenges and celebrating the diversity we do have as well and what we do hope is for the future. South Asian Heritage Month isn’t just for that month, but we continue to spotlight those voice throughout the yar and continue to represent the diversity of football and fans”
Everyone at Beyond The Pitch would like to express our dearest gratitude to Farah Chowdhury, Nirali Sisodia and Aman Dosanj for their time and for sharing their personal experiences with us, thank you.
You can watch the latest podcast episode here:
Photo: https://blogs.reading.ac.uk/diversereading/2022/07/01/july-south-asian-heritage-month/