Birmingham bhangra star Jaz Dhami is working to increase the number of Asians involved in football by training to be an FA football coach.
Jaz has been working with Mohammed Juned and his team, Aston FC Under 15s, who are one of the most diverse sides in the region. He has already gained his Level One FA badge and is working towards Level Two.
"I want to encourage young Asians in particular to get into football," says Jaz, 24, who's recently been nominated for three UK Asian Music Awards, and was himself a promising young footballer.
"There's a lack of Asians playing professional football because of parental pressure and I want to do my bit to help break down the barriers.
"When I was young I was really into football and when I got involved in music I completely locked off from football.
'Pressure'
"My dad wasn't into football and I think pressure from him saying, 'Look, there's no future for Asians in football' had an influence on me.
I experienced that and I'm sure other Asian youngsters experience that. There is a path for Asians in football but kids need that break from their parents."
"The boys are absolutely fantastic," enthuses Bengali-born Mohammed, who moved to Birmingham when he was two.
"They come from varying backgrounds and that's what our club represents - a team from Aston that really demonstrates the make-up of Aston."
The Aston FC technical director's side have won their league for the last two years and include players from a variety of backgrounds including those of African, Asian and Middle Eastern descent.
Youngsters
The club takes on youngsters from age five onwards and its teams train in the shadow of Aston Villa's Villa Park stadium on Trinity Road.
"It's so inspiring for the lads to be training with Aston Villa's ground as a backdrop," says Mohammed, who was with West Bromwich Albion but found his playing career cut short by a ligament injury.
"It's a constant reminder of what they could achieve and where they could be when they're older if they put in the hard work. Aston is an area with high levels of depravation and football is a massive catalyst for social and economic change."
Mohammed, though, also believes parents have an important role to play in helping British Asians to rise through the football leagues into the professional ranks.
"There are a variety of issues which explain why so few British Asians play professional football," he says.
'Culture'
"The main two are tradition and culture; sport in general isn't seen as important as academic study and employment in traditional south Asian culture. There's not a push from parents to participate in sport, in particular, football.
"I think it's a different story for cricket because it is seen as middle class whereas football is perceived as working class. There needs to be a shift in culture because football is our national sport."
There are approximately 2,500 professional footballers in England's four main leagues but only seven British Asian players.
They are Walsall left-back Netan Sansara, Cardiff striker Michael Chopra, Dagenham & Redbridge centre-back Anwar Uddin, Leicester City midfielder Aman Verma, Bradford City centre-back Zesh Rehman, Darlington midfielder Rikki Bains and Bury midfielder Krishnan Patel.
From BBC Birmingham
