LONDON: About 400 figures from the worlds of football, business, the media and the wider community are expected to attend the 6th Asian Football Awards in London next month.
The ceremony, on Sept. 29 at The Clementine at Syon Park Estate, will bring together players, coaches, referees and officials, broadcasters, grassroots organizations and others involved in or with connections to South Asian football.
Established in 2012, the Asian Football Awards aim to recognize and honor the achievements of South Asians across the sport, and raise the profile of players and professionals working at all levels of the game.
Previous winners include former Premier League footballer Michael Chopra and broadcasters Reshmin Chowdhury, Seema Jaswal and Manish Bhasin. More recent recipients include players Hamza Choudhury, Yan Dhanda, Kira Rai and Zidane Iqbal, and referee Sunny Singh Gill.
The awards have also honored coaches, referees, grassroots organizations, community leaders, fan groups and others who work behind the scenes.
One of the most notable recipients is Iqbal, who won the Young Player Award in 2024 and went on to become the first footballer of Pakistani heritage to play at a men’s FIFA World Cup, when he represented Iraq at this year’s competition.
The 2026 awards ceremony will include a reception and networking session followed by dinner, entertainment and the presentation of the honors. The event will be hosted by Sky Sports News presenter Dharmesh Sheth.
The awards are supported by organizations including the Football Association; the Professional Footballers’ Association; ProRef; anti-discrimination group Kick It Out; Fans for Diversity; Sporting Equals; BAMREF, a support and advocacy organization for Black, Asian and mixed-heritage referees; the League Managers Association; and the South Asian Football Alliance. BritAsia TV is the event’s broadcast and media partner.
Baljit Rihal, the founder of the awards, said: “The Asian Football Awards were created because there were people doing fantastic things across football who simply weren’t receiving the visibility or recognition they deserved.
“Fourteen years later, that purpose remains just as important. We have seen progress and some fantastic success stories but South Asians are still significantly underrepresented across many areas of the professional game. The awards allow us to celebrate those who are breaking through, create visible role models and bring together people from across football who can help create opportunities for the next generation.
“To have around 400 people from football, business, media and the community coming together at Syon Park, alongside the support of so many of the game’s leading organizations, shows how far the Awards have come.”
