The debate over South Asian representation in English football has moved beyond the pitch, with West Ham recently facing calls for greater representation within the club and the wider game.
Now, with just two weeks left to nominate for the Asian Football Awards 2026, attention is again turning to the players, coaches, referees and people working behind the scenes who are helping to change that picture.
Nominations for this year’s awards close on Friday, 21 August, with organisers urging football clubs, governing bodies, community groups and the public to put forward people whose contribution to the game may otherwise go unnoticed.
The Asian Football Awards were established in 2012 to recognise South Asian achievement across football and create more visible role models for future generations. The push comes against a backdrop of strong participation among South Asian communities but continued under-representation in many parts of the professional game.
The Football Association’s South Asians in Football Plan 2025-28 reports that 11.1% of South Asian adult men and 15.4% of South Asian adult women participate in football.
The FA has identified increasing South Asian representation as a strategic priority, with its plan focusing on pathways into playing, coaching, refereeing and other areas of the sport.
For Baljit Rihal, founder of the Asian Football Awards, recognition should extend beyond the professional players who attract the most attention. “If we don’t know their story, we can’t celebrate it,” he said.
Rihal said the awards were intended to recognise people working across the game, including coaches, referees, grassroots volunteers, media professionals, community organisations and those working behind the scenes.
The awards have previously recognised figures including Michael Chopra, Danny Batth, Zidane Iqbal, Yan Dhanda, Sunny Singh Gill, Reshmin Chowdhury, Seema Jaswal and Kira Rai. Their careers span playing, refereeing, broadcasting and other areas of football, reflecting the wider contribution of South Asians to the sport.
Zidane Iqbal, who won Young Player of the Year at the 2024 awards, has since gone on to represent Iraq at the FIFA World Cup. The example reflects one of the central aims of the awards: increasing the visibility of South Asians succeeding across different parts of football.
The most recent ceremony was held at Wembley Stadium in 2024, attracting around 350 guests from football, media, business and the wider community.
The 2026 awards will take place on Tuesday, 29 September, at The Clementine in Syon Park, London.
This year’s event is officially supported by the FA, PFA, Pro Ref, Kick It Out, Fans for Diversity, Sporting Equals and SAFA.
Sporting Equals is the official charity partner, while The Dad Project is supporting the event as official mental health partner.
Rihal said people nominated for the awards did not need to be well known or involved in professional football. “There are just two weeks left,” he said.
“If you know somebody or an organisation doing something special for South Asians in football, tell us about them.”
He said some of the most significant work was taking place away from the spotlight, including at grassroots level.
The awards come at a time when questions about representation continue to be raised across English football, from who appears on the pitch to who has access to coaching, refereeing, media and leadership opportunities.
For organisers, the nominations process is intended to identify those contributions and give them greater visibility. Anyone can nominate an individual or organisation, including through self-nominations.
Nominations close on Friday, 21 August.
The Asian Football Awards 2026 will be held on 29 September, with tickets now on sale.
