{"id":53571,"date":"2024-03-22T12:22:12","date_gmt":"2024-03-22T12:22:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportsgazette.co.uk\/?p=53571"},"modified":"2024-04-08T14:53:03","modified_gmt":"2024-04-08T13:53:03","slug":"football-and-south-asian-women-in-conversation-with-millie-chandarana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportsgazette.co.uk\/football-and-south-asian-women-in-conversation-with-millie-chandarana\/","title":{"rendered":"South Asian women and football: In conversation with Millie Chandarana"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cSport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nelson Mandela spoke these words at the inaugural Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony almost a quarter of a century ago.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And in today\u2019s world they certainly ring true given that sport is driving a positive change in society through increased participation of women.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Football in particular has been an agent of social change in the UK, especially since the Lionesses won the Euros on home soil in 2022 and finished as runners-up at last year\u2019s World Cup.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Women&#8217;s Football Weekend is almost upon us&#8230; &#x1f64c;<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/xaZUAP1lcM\">pic.twitter.com\/xaZUAP1lcM<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Fanzine WSL (@FanzineWSL) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FanzineWSL\/status\/1770709175279980632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 21, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">March is earmarked as Women\u2019s History Month in the United Kingdom, and this year the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org\/2024-whm-theme\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">theme<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is focused on \u2018Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>In addition, the coming weekend also marks <a href=\"https:\/\/www.broadcastnow.co.uk\/production\/wsl-and-womens-championship-kick-off-womens-football-weekend-campaign\/5191770.article\">Women&#8217;s Football Weekend<\/a> in both the Women&#8217;s Super League and the Women&#8217;s Championship.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the UK celebrates women and their empowerment in various fields, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sports Gazette<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> catches up with Millie Chandarana, a footballer who plays in the Women\u2019s Championship for Blackburn Rovers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Women\u2019s football: Achievements galore, but still a long way to go<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Millie has dual heritage &#8211; her father is Indian and mother is English &#8211; and she is the only South Asian-origin player to have a professional contract in the Women\u2019s Championship.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She is a trailblazer in the true sense of the word, as she had to chart her path on her own in football. When asked about female role models, she pointed towards the apparent lack of them in sport when she was growing up.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There wasn\u2019t anyone to look up to, to have a role model. Growing up, there were only a handful of players who had professional contracts who were professional,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"hi\">&#x1f3af; MILLIE CHANDARANA! &#x1f60d;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Rovers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Rovers<\/a> &#x1f535;&#x26aa;&#xfe0f; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/rhBRWLm0qB\">pic.twitter.com\/rhBRWLm0qB<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Blackburn Rovers WFC (@RoversWFC) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RoversWFC\/status\/1581607003340025858?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 16, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In today\u2019s world, things are changing for the better: <a href=\"https:\/\/sportsgazette.co.uk\/chelsea-wsl-attendance-woes\/\">WSL matches are frequently setting attendance records<\/a>, the Lionesses\u2019 success &#8211; both on and off the pitch &#8211; has given Gareth Southgate\u2019s charges a run for their money, and viewers\u2019 interest has also ramped up for women\u2019s football in the UK.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is still a long way to go when it comes to the representation of ethnic minorities &#8211; especially South Asians &#8211; in the beautiful game, but Chandarana is hopeful of a better future for South Asian girls in football.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cTen years down the line, we\u2019ll see a lot more South Asian players with professional contracts, and even playing internationally,\u201d the Blackburn Rovers player said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Self-belief: The key to succeed in any field<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a player with dual heritage, Chandarana has had her fair share of challenges in terms of her identity in football.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cSome people think I\u2019m English, some people think I\u2019m Italian, some people think I\u2019m Indian, and some people don\u2019t even realise I have an Indian surname.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAll my life, people haven\u2019t been able to pronounce or spell my name,\u201d the 27-year-old midfielder said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-53582 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/sportsgazette.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Millie-Chandarana.jpeg\" alt=\"South asian Women Football\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1674\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sportsgazette.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Millie-Chandarana.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/sportsgazette.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Millie-Chandarana-300x196.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/sportsgazette.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Millie-Chandarana-1024x670.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/sportsgazette.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Millie-Chandarana-768x502.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/sportsgazette.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Millie-Chandarana-1536x1004.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/sportsgazette.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Millie-Chandarana-2048x1339.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><strong>Millie Chandarana (in dark blue) in action in the Women&#8217;s Championship (Source: Wikimedia Commons)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But, she believes that sincere effort coupled with self-belief is the key to unlocking success in any field in life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou\u2019ve got to believe that you can do something because if you don\u2019t believe in yourself, you\u2019re not going to have a chance.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">An unbelievable strike from Millie Chandarana &#x1f92f;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/BarclaysWC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#BarclaysWC<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RoversWFC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@RoversWFC<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/jfpJEB6tdB\">pic.twitter.com\/jfpJEB6tdB<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Barclays Women\u2019s Championship (@BarclaysWC) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BarclaysWC\/status\/1749801660220633518?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 23, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou\u2019ve got to have that drive within yourself to go and do something,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>South Asian girls and their pursuit of professional sport<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Parents in South Asian households are stereotyped as being overly obsessed with their children\u2019s education, and are never seen as proponents of participation in sports &#8211; cue <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bend It Like Beckham<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhen I was a teenager, I didn\u2019t really know any South Asian parents who were pushing their kids to play professionally,\u201d said Chandarana.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Notwithstanding this, South Asian parents have lately begun to support their children in their pursuit of playing professional sports.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWith the success of women\u2019s football at the minute, I see a lot more support from families, from parents, and from relatives,\u201d said the former Loughborough Foxes player.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The hard work continues &#x1f499;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Rovers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Rovers<\/a> &#x1f535;&#x26aa;&#xfe0f; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/acHlksk7nc\">pic.twitter.com\/acHlksk7nc<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Blackburn Rovers WFC (@RoversWFC) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RoversWFC\/status\/1769800945498833358?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 18, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chandarana also gave some valuable advice to South Asian girls who are starting out at the grassroots level in any sport in the UK.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou\u2019ve just got to go for it and try it. Just play the sport, because a lot of people are in a sport for a reason, because they love to play it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAnd you\u2019ve got to remember why you\u2019re in the sport sometimes and just go and play.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cSport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does.\u201d Nelson Mandela spoke these words at the inaugural Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony almost a quarter of a century ago.\u00a0 And in today\u2019s world they certainly ring [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":193,"featured_media":53584,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[3325,6,3295],"tags":[2253,1711,149],"ppma_author":[4699],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v15.9.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>South Asian Women and Football: In conversation with Millie Chandarana<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As Women&#039;s Football Weekend beckons, here&#039;s Blackburn Rovers midfielder Millie Chandarana as she talks about South Asian-heritage women in English football.\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportsgazette.co.uk\/football-and-south-asian-women-in-conversation-with-millie-chandarana\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"South Asian Women and Football: In conversation with Millie Chandarana\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As Women&#039;s Football Weekend beckons, here&#039;s Blackburn Rovers midfielder Millie Chandarana as she talks about South Asian-heritage women in English football.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sportsgazette.co.uk\/football-and-south-asian-women-in-conversation-with-millie-chandarana\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sports Gazette\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-03-22T12:22:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta 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