South Asians in Football Weekly: Singh lands Blues role as Mahmood stars in West Brom’s win over Derby | Football News

The newest version of South Asians in Soccer Weekly is out after one other first rate week for the group within the Stunning Sport…

Panjabi Blues co-founder Sukh Singh will head up Birmingham Metropolis’s landmark new Official Supporters’ Golf equipment (OSC) community.

Singh has emerged as a outstanding determine in a lot of force-for-good initiatives at Blues lately, together with his Panjabi Blues group elevating greater than £11,500 for Blue Nostril Day in December, assist of Birmingham Metropolis’s partnership with the Birmingham Kids’s Belief after organising the very first ‘Sleep Out at St Andrews’.

An immediately recognisable determine at matches residence and away, Singh was a part of Birmingham Metropolis’s Equality, Range and Inclusion steering group final season. He additionally appeared stay on Sky Sports activities Information to react to the announcement Tom Brady had change into a minority proprietor within the membership.

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Singh, who will work to characterize supporters’ pursuits alongside fellow Platinum away member Paul Delves, informed Sky Sports activities Information: “It’s an honour and a privilege to serve an exquisite establishment like Birmingham Metropolis Soccer Membership. Our membership has supporters in each nook of the globe, and collectively all of us wish to see us up there with the perfect on the subject of followers, soccer and leisure.

“The official supporters membership give us a singular alternative to correctly unite, bringing Blues followers in all places nearer to the membership and making them a part of the particular journey that this soccer membership is embarking upon.”

Information of Singh’s appointment comes lower than every week after British-Pakistani wonderkid Layla Banaras joined Wolves Girls on a twin registration for the rest of the season.

Banaras – who launched a vitamin information and meal planner on Sky Sports activities Information to assist Muslim athletes fasting throughout Ramadan when she was simply 14 – grew to become the primary South Asian heritage girl to characterize Blues within the skilled period when she turned out for Blues in final yr’s Girls’s FA Cup.

Banaras now seems to be set to make her Wolves debut in opposition to WSL opposition this weekend, with Wolves internet hosting Brighton in a Girls’s FA Cup fifth-round tie.

Talking after finishing the deal to convey Banaras in, Wolves supervisor Dan McNamara mentioned: “She’s a very proficient particular person, technically excellent and we’re actually wanting ahead to seeing her on the pitch.

“She will play in quite a few positions. She will play in midfield, out vast, at full-back and is de facto snug on the ball and has a very good eye for a cross.

“She’s a younger participant who we may give alternatives to play senior soccer and see if we will help her alongside in her journey.”

Head of ladies and women soccer Jenna Burke-Martin added: “Layla is a very proficient participant with an thrilling future forward of her in soccer and we stay up for welcoming her into the pack.”

Banaras, in the meantime, has change into a youth ambassador for Birmingham Housing Week in effort to encourage younger folks to become involved within the dialog round housing in England’s Second Metropolis and what that would seem like for future generations.

Banaras mentioned: “I feel it is actually essential to create alternatives for younger folks because it offers them a voice and permits them to really feel heard.”

Majestic Mahmood proves matchwinner

Mariam Mahmood grabbed an help earlier than scoring West Brom’s winner in a shocking 2-1 victory in opposition to Kira Rai’s Derby County.

Simran Jhamat and Mahmood each featured for West Brom, with Rai beginning for the guests as three women from South Asian backgrounds took to the pitch in a keenly contested Midlands derby at Redditch United’s Valley Stadium.

Mahmood, who returned to the line-up after damage to make her first West Brom look of 2024, regarded on her recreation from the primary whistle, beginning on the left flank as supervisor Siobhan Hodgetts-Nonetheless fielded an attacking line-up for the go to of the Ewes.

The 19-year-old attacker skinned Derby County’s full-back and squared for Niamh Deasy to transform West Brom’s opener, earlier than smashing residence what proved to be the winner after a pleasant, flicked cross from Phoebe Warner.

There was additionally a touching second throughout the first half when Derby County midfielder Amy Sims wanted therapy for a head damage, with Rai becoming a member of the membership’s medical workers to are inclined to her stricken team-mate throughout a 15-minute delay.

Pakistan worldwide Zahmena Malik is the most recent British participant to make a transfer to Saudi Arabia.

Jordan Henderson may need reduce brief his stint within the nation to hitch Ajax, however Leicester-born Nigeria worldwide Ashleigh Plumptre continues to be taking part in in Saudi, with Malik now becoming a member of her after finishing a transfer to Riyadh-based Al Hmmah.

Former Spurs academy star Malik performed at London Seaward final season, along with her beautiful type incomes her a global call-up.

Malik grabbed a memorable 89th-minute help on her worldwide debut in a historic conflict in opposition to Comoros final yr, with Pakistan’s girls taking part in African opposition for the primary time.

The east Londoner, who featured in final yr’s launch of the primary South Asian heritage feminine participant timeline, scored Pakistan’s winner in an Olympic qualifier in opposition to Tajikistan final April.

“Zahmena has been a tremendous discover for the Pakistan Nationwide Crew and having scored the nation’s profitable aim in our first-ever Olympic qualifying win, it is clear that she will definitely play at a excessive degree in Asia,” Footballistan podcast host Shahrukh Sohail informed Sky Sports activities Information.

“Al Hmmah are an formidable membership who’re well-positioned to problem on the greater echelons of the sport in Saudi Arabia in coming years.”

Former Aston Villa midfielder Arjan Raikhy adopted up on his FA Cup look for Leicester Metropolis, by making his Championship debut in a 3-1 victory for the Foxes in opposition to Swansea Metropolis.

Raikhy began for Leicester’s U21s, two days after making an look within the 3-0 FA Cup win over Birmingham Metropolis, earlier than approaching in its place within the win in opposition to the Swans lower than 24 hours later.

Sky Sports activities Information completely revealed again in August Raikhy had signed for Leicester as a free agent after leaving Villa the place he had been a part of the FA Youth Cup-winning staff.

Raikhy made his senior debut in English soccer in an FA Cup third-round tie in opposition to Liverpool in 2021.

British South Asians in Soccer

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