Rohan Luthra became the first South Asian keeper when he made an appearance for Cardiff City in the game against Preston North End. The 6ft 5 Punjabi stopper came off the bench in added time to make his senior debut in English football, becoming the first South Asian goalkeeper to play in the Sky Bet Championship. Luthra replaced attacker Mark Harris with Cardiff behind in additional time after goalkeeper Jak Alnwick was sent off for bringing out Tom Cannon while attempting to make a clearing. Luthra, 20, has been working his way back from injury and was only on the bench at Deepdale because Cardiff’s backup goalkeeper, Ryan Allsop, was serving a one-match suspension after being sent off in last week’s win over Bristol City.
Cardiff City goalkeeper Rohan Luthra, a former Whitgift School student, is the first British South Asian goalkeeper to sign a Premier League contract. He played youth football with England internationals Bukayo Saka and Callum Hudson-Odoi before making his debut in goal for Crystal Palace’s U-18s at the age of 15.
“This is just another fantastic piece of news for British South Asians in football in 2023,” England technical talent coach Jas Batt said. “This one will be celebrated from Wales to West London, all the way to the Wagah border, and beyond! Rohan is someone of South Asian descent and should be proud of. He’s a multi-talented athlete from a prestigious family who has always been regarded as an elite-potential talent. I’m sure I can speak for everyone in the community when I say we’re all incredibly proud of him.”
“This is a time to celebrate for both the football family and the larger South Asian community in England and abroad,” an Apna England spokesperson said. “Everyone wants to see more diversity in the ‘beautiful game,’ and Rohan making history will give a lot of people from different backgrounds a lot of hope for the future. As an official England fans’ group, we’d want to extend our support and heartfelt congratulations to Rohan, his family, and everyone affiliated with Cardiff City Football Club.”
Bhupinder Singh Gill made history in Southampton’s game against Nottingham Forest earlier this year, becoming the Premier League’s first Sikh assistant referee. Layla Banaras, a British-Pakistani wunderkid, cracked a glass ceiling four days later when she became the first South Asian ancestry woman to play for Birmingham City in the professional period. East Londoner Zahmena Malik has also had a strong start to 2023, grabbing a spectacular assist on her Pakistan Ladies debut against Comoros in Saudi Arabia. Malik, a London Seaward attacking midfielder, also scored in her club’s 4-0 triumph over Chesham United last month.
Safia Middleton Patel, a Manchester United child, has already had an incredible year. The 18-year-old goalkeeper earned her first professional contract before joining Coventry United on loan before making her full international debut for Wales and keeping a clean sheet against the Philippines. At the beginning of this month. Anwar Uddin, a West Ham academy product, is due to quit his position with the Football Supporters’ Association to oversee the FA’s efforts to make football accessible to all.
The under-representation of British South Asians in the game has been described as “the single-largest statistical aberration in English football” by Kick It Out chair Sanjay Bhandari. Meanwhile, ethnic diversity at the top level of the women’s game was highlighted at last summer’s Women’s Euros, with England selecting an all-white starting XI in all six of their matches.
Sky Sports has collaborated with dozens of current and former players from various ethnic origins to provide them with a platform to share their tales in order to catch the imagination of the next generation of female footballers. As part of Sky Sports’ unprecedented commitment to British South Asians in Football, talent has been identified and directed directly to the Football Association and clubs. We have also dedicated a section of our website to raising awareness about South Asians in The Game, as well as created a dedicated rolling blog. A handful of elite and elite-potential female players, as well as their families, have received mentoring and access to off-field development opportunities.
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