No space for South Asians in Team GB

Team GB is heading to Paris for the 2024 Olympics starting on 26th July and lasting until 11th August. The team holds 166 athletes from throughout the UK and Northern Ireland. However, among these high-performing athletes, only one is of South Asian descent, which is unrepresentative of the vast number of South Asians in Britain.  

This low number of South Asians in Team GB spotlights the question of why there are fewer South Asians in sports compared to other groups in Britain.  

There are multiple reasons why South Asians are not represented in sports to the extent of other groups within the UK and Northern Ireland, such as the lack of representation, parental influence, fear of racism and health reasons.  

For many South Asian Brits, the dismissal of sports begins from a young age through the influence of parents and school. South Asian parents are seen throughout society as pushing their children to pursue a career in an industry, such as medicine, teaching, law, or computing and away from the sporting industry. Although this is mainly a stereotype, according to research by Pios One, the majority of South Asians reportedly state that their parents’ influence is why they have steered away from a career in sports.  

Moreover, a Sky Sports investigation has revealed that racism is a significant deterrent for South Asians in sports. The surge in racist incidents post-Euros 2021, where several coloured football players for England were subjected to vicious racism from the British public, both online and offline, has created an environment where people of colour in the UK feel uneasy about being in the limelight. This discomfort increases the risk of encountering racism, leading many to shy away from sports that would put them on a global stage, opting instead for careers where they can remain anonymous.  

Another factor limiting the number of South Asians in sports is prejudice from peers and coaches in the sports environment. South Asians are viewed as having a diet that does not produce professional athletes. Still, Dr Daniel Kilvington, an expert on British South Asian communities, said: “A lot of recruiters, talent ID personnel and coaches have said over the years: ‘British South Asians are very technical, perfect, but not big enough to compete.’ Unfortunately, I think that mindset is still ingrained in many people”.  

In terms of families’ influence on South Asians’ view of sports and inclusion, although there is some truth to this claim, it is not the reality for every South Asian family in Britain. Arun Kang, head of the charity Sporting Equals, said: “They all want to be doctors, lawyers, accountants. Give me a break! That’s not what it is anymore. There are fourth-generation South Asians in this country, and we can’t find one Premier League footballer. It’s embarrassing, to be honest.”  

PLOS One also report that South Asians in Britain are five times more likely to have diabetes and two times more at risk from heart disease compared to other groups. This could also be a leading factor in why South Asians do not pursue a career in sports, as they are fearful of experiencing health issues because of overexerting themselves when professionally playing sports and because of the barriers that these health complications produce.  

There are multiple reasons South Asians do not try to obtain a career in sports. All of this results in a lack of representation for South Asians throughout the UK within sports. This is a further reason for the lack of South Asians, as South Asian children do not see athletes who look like them, which could disinterest them in sports and make them feel like they are not allowed to participate at that level.  

As the Olympics draw near, it’s a crucial moment to delve into the reasons behind the absence of South Asians in professional sports and to chart a course for change. The time for action is now.