The Punjabi Rams were crowned winners of the Fans for Diversity award at the 2021 Football Supporters’ Association Awards in London on Monday night.
The group, who are an official Derby County supporters’ club, landed the accolade ahead of AFC Autism, Apna England, Lady Imps, Love Football Hate Racism and Pride in Football.
The Punjabi Rams ran mental health sessions for supporters during lockdown before embarking upon a fundraising drive for the charity MIND. The group also supported Derby County’s foodbank appeal earlier this year and started a free ticket campaign to get children and low-income families into Pride Park.
Earlier this month on Diwali, Sky Sports News exclusively revealed that the Punjabi Rams were extending their commitment to Derby County Women’s side by stepping in to become a shirt sleeve sponsor for the team.
Punjabi Rams member Jay Mann told Sky Sports News: “This is an incredible achievement for us as a group and testament to the fantastic support that the club and the Derby County fans have shown us.
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“We will continue to serve our community and help drive the agenda of improving representation in football.”
Sellars: Local kid Kandola a great role model
Wolves technical director Scott Sellars insists Kam Kandola has a bright future in the game after the 17-year-old put pen to paper on his first contract in senior football.
Centre-back Kandola has spent the last decade at hometown club Wolves, and has now become the Premier League’s fifth professionally contracted British South Asian footballer, joining Leicester’s Hamza Choudhury, Tottenham’s Dilan Markanday, Manchester United’s Zidane Iqbal and Aston Villa’s Arjan Raikhy in England’s top division.
“Kam is a great representative of the South Asian community in Wolverhampton,” Sellars said.
“There is a real shortage of players from that background in football in general, but we want our club to reflect our local community.
“I’d love to think that South Asian kids growing up in Wolverhampton will see Kam as a great role model because he’s done a lot of work in telling his story and how it has been for him to get to where he’s at.
“Hopefully he’ll inspire more local boys, not only those who share his background, to believe that they can do it because they’ve seen Kam do it.”
Singh to join FA
The Football Association has appointed Navin Singh as its new commercial director.
Singh will begin his new role early in 2022 after spending the last five years as chief commercial officer of the United States Golf Association.
“It’s a huge honour to be joining the Football Association,” said Singh.
“I’m excited to work with my new colleagues and our important commercial partners in supporting the FA’s ambitious new strategic vision – from helping our teams to be successful in major tournaments to building on our direct relationships with fans.
“I’m also particularly excited by the commitment to women’s football and want to add to the considerable work being done to take it to the next level.”
England could lose out on Man Utd’s Zidane Iqbal
England face the prospect of missing out on Manchester United teenager Zidane Iqbal, with Iraqi football chiefs keen to secure the teenager’s services at senior international level, Sky Sports News can reveal.
The attacking midfielder was called up to play for the Iraqi U23 side at last month’s WAFF (West Asian Football Federation) Championship, helping them reach the semi-finals before their elimination to Saudi Arabia. Iqbal also featured against United Arab Emirates, and took the captain’s armband before scoring against Lebanon.
Manchester-born Iqbal is eligible to represent England, Iraq and Pakistan but has yet to be called up to an England age-group squad, despite spending more than a decade with United and establishing himself as a regular member of United’s U23 squad.
The 18-year-old netted for the club’s youngsters against Sunderland in the EFL Trophy last month, and followed that up by scoring United’s opener in their 4-2 UEFA Youth League win against Italian side Atalanta.
British South Asians in Football
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