Webinfosys's Sports News : GenX Asians in England await a hero

After Michael Chopra, who? That is the malady of the Indian community in England and while some would promptly blame it on prejudice, there is a growing opinion that it is a two-way street, and the onus is on the expatriates to spare themselves a suicide goal and adopt aggression in order to inspire the Gen Next.

"It is all about creating the right opportunities and environment," remarks former Leeds United and Portsmouth striker Terry Connor, who himself waged a lonely battle as one of the pioneering blacks to embrace the international stage in the late '70s and '80s. "When I was growing up there was a lot of prejudice because of my colour, but it was all about me and what I wanted to achieve and it would take the Asian community to do just that, and grab the opportunities that come their way," observes Connor, who is now the chief coach of English Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers.

"Back in our day, racism was rampant in 99 per cent of all the grounds, but we kept pushing and pushing, and we eventually broke down the barriers. There were only a few black players than, but look at English football now. It is an example for the Indians."

Jas Bains, a leading figure of the Indian community in Wolverhampton, however, is a little baffled by the stunted development. "There are thousands of Indian boys in the West Midlands playing football but I really don't understand why we can't reach the next level. I would say that a lot of it is down to pre-conceived notions. When a white coach looks at a South American or a black youngster, football is expected to be in their blood but a brown lad could be immediately rejected because of our lack of footballing history. There are a lot of Asians doing well in cricket but when it comes to this game, perhaps, it's our past or our present which haunts us," sighs the man who orchestrated the Wolverhampton-India initiative, which led to the partnership between Wolves and I-League club JCT.

For Wolves CEO Jez Moxey, it is a combination of factors. "Almost 20 per cent of the population in our area is Asian, which is India-dominant, but still there is a general apprehension about coming forward. We clubs also need to do more to embrace the community but first we must integrate the footballing standards.

There are leagues for Indian children there and we would like to integrate it with our own so that there is no division. Also, only a small percentage of the population comes to watch football. That is why we are hoping that if we host a club like JCT, it would generate interest among the Indian community and will encourage more involvement."

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