Women’s game ‘needs to capitalise’ on growth in British South Asian community

Derby midfielder Kira Rai says the “crazy” growth of women’s football in the British South Asian community is something that must be capitalised on.

The Burton-born 25-year-old – who has been with Derby since she was 10 and was the first South Asian woman to play for the first team – combines her playing career with coaching and mentoring youngsters in the midlands.

She has also been involved in events like the one held last November by Arsenal for girls with South Asian heritage aged nine to 16, designed to inspire participation.

And Rai, who was last month named women’s player of the year at the Asian Football Awards, told the PA news agency: “The first event I went to perhaps three or four years ago in London, I was shocked at the attendance, and also the level of engagement, the skill of the girls as well, because it was something I wasn’t used to growing up.

More game-time with NI but Conor Bradley still learning at Liverpool

Youth continuing to gain experience for Northern Ireland: Michael O’Neill

“But now every other event I go to, I know what to expect. The engagement is there from the girls, they love the game, they love being there, they want to do what they can to get better at football.

“For me, the growth in the last few years has been crazy and I think it’s now something we need to capitalise on and make sure these girls are being given equal opportunities and support as everyone else, and then hopefully, you can see at the high level of the game the diversity, the representation change. Because the talent is there.”

She added: “I think attitudes in our own community are changing. I’m seeing that first hand. I’m seeing parents go out of their way to bring kids to training sessions, to this, to that.

“And as a whole, in the community but also outside…we’re all recognising that diversity is an issue in the game, particularly in the women’s, and the fact it’s actually being addressed, we’re coming up with ways to address it, overcome it, fix it, I think is a real positive.

“It’s everyone’s responsibility to make sure football is for everyone. We all as a collective have to work together and support each other to make sure these things are successful and the game really does change.”

Former England midfielder Karen Carney’s review published in 2023 said a lack of diversity across the women’s game was an issue needing to be “urgently” addressed, and developments have included the Football Association making talent pathway changes and access to football for girls in schools being boosted.

The FA has an Asian Inclusion Strategy, the last update of which, in August last year, said that while the number of professional players of Asian heritage in the game remained low, there had been an increase in female Asian participation (aged 16+) at grassroots level from from 15.4 per cent in 2022 to 17.5.

Rai, who has made over 100 appearances for third-tier Derby and helped the Ewes win the Women’s National League Plate – their first major trophy – last season, feels it is “only right” she embraces being a role model “because there is only a few of us that are at this level”.

And she added: “It’s so rewarding that after games I’ll get messages or comments from parents saying, whether it be their son or daughter, they saw an Indian girl playing football, they’re going to play football now.

“To me, that’s massive, huge, worth so much. So if I can do what I can to help that and grow that, I’m always going to do that.”

Rai says her experiences as a British South Asian female in the game have been “largely positive”.

And while “there have been negatives, there have been barriers”, she said: “I always try to spin it as a positive.

“And I think that is really important, especially for the young girls coming (through) today – (to say to them) yes, you’re going to have barriers, you’re going have people telling you shouldn’t play football, but use it as an extra motivation that other people don’t have, because there is no reason you shouldn’t play football because of your skin colour.”