Vimal Yoganathan:
Vimal Yoganathan currently plays for Barnsley and has scored two goals in 15 league appearances for Barnsley. At just 19 years of age, he is a regular starter for the Yorkshire outfit and has played an important role in their season, featuring 23 times across all competitions.
Image: Barnsley FC
Yoganathan is England’s first Tamil footballer, and he is hoping that he can inspire others to play in the professional game. Speaking to the Guardian, he said: “I can’t remember any Tamil players growing up, whether that’s even Sunday League and definitely not academy football. I don’t think I ever met a single Tamil footballer, so it is definitely a problem that’s all the way through the [football] pyramid.”
Arvid Lindblad:
Arvid Lindblad has been confirmed as a Racing Bulls driver ahead of the 2026 Formula One calendar. Lindblad was born to a Swedish father and an Indian heritage mother, making him an exciting talent to watch who is of South Asian descent.
Image: Image F1
Lindblad will be Isack Hadjar’s teammate at the Red Bull Racing sister team, who finished sixth in the Constructors Championship table, three points above Aston Martin. Hadjar finished 12th in the Drivers’ Championship, level on points with 11th-place Niko Hulkenberg.
Lindblad, aged 18, steps into Formula One following a sixth-place finish in the Formula Two drivers’ standings for the 2025 season. It will be the third season in a row where the teenager has moved up a racing category, as he was in F3 in 2024, F2 in 2025, and he will now be in F1 in 2026.
On reaching Formula One, he said: “it feels good. I’m obviously very happy that the news is out. I’m very much looking forward to it next year.”
The 18-year-old has already had a taste of driving a Formula One car, as he has featured in multiple first practice sessions throughout the season for Red Bull Racing.
The first time that Lindblad races in Formula One will be on 8 March, in Australia. The season gets underway in Melbourne, followed by the Chinese Grand Prix a week later.
Safia Middleton-Patel:
Safia Middleton-Patel is a professional footballer for Manchester United and is a goalkeeper for the Red Devils. She played in goal in three straight fixtures for Manchester United, against Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City and Wolfsburg.
The Red Devils won one of those three matches, with the win coming against PSG at Old Trafford in the UEFA Women’s Champions League. The goalkeeper, aged 21, has played for Wales at the Euros, which took place earlier this year, as she targets being number one for both club and country. The keeper has often found herself as backup to Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who is the chosen number one.
The Welsh international was born to an Indian father and a Welsh mother, with her choosing to represent Wales. She is also the first South Asian footballer to feature for the Man United women’s team.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi:
Vaibhav Suryavanshi has already made his debut in the IPL at the age of 14. He has impressed fans across the world with his incredible talent at such a young age. Suryavanshi plays for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League, becoming the youngest cricketer to play in the competition when he debuted. Off his first ball, he hit a six and then became the youngest player to hit a century in the league, which he did so off 35 balls.
Image: IPL
The teen has been selected for India’s under-19 World Cup squad, with the tournament set to begin on 15 January.
The teenager has impressed in the matches he has played so far to date, and he could be called upon again by the Royals’ first team to help bolster their squad. The Rajasthan Royals had a disappointing season in the IPL in 2025, finishing ninth out of 10 teams in the division, and being level on points with bottom of the table Chennai Super Kings.
Ashvir Singh Johal:
Ashvir Singh Johal is the manager of Morecambe FC in the National League, who avoided liquidation during the summer. The manager has been a part of the rebuild of the football club, helping the side get back to playing competitive matches. While the Shrimps sit inside the relegation zone, they have more than enough quality in the playing squad to boost their league position.
Image: Morecambefc/Instagram
Johal is also the first ever British South Asian manager of a men’s first team, with the boss making history when he was appointed as the manager of Morecambe. They are only three points inside the relegation zone and have played third and fourth in the league back-to-back, in their last two outings.
