Held at Wembley Stadium and in association with Sky Sports, BBC Sport, BBC Asian Radio Network, Zee TV and Inventive Sports, the Asian Football Awards brought out some of the biggest football names to pay homage to Asian players in the game. Stars past and present, like; Sunderland’s former England striker, Jermain Defoe, ex-Chelsea FC and England defender Graeme Le Saux and Steve Coppell (ex-Manchester United FC, Crystal Palace FC, Reading FC and England) were on hand to make their judgment on the night’s winners.
With supported from The Football Association (FA) and The Asian Football Project, the event, hosted by Sky Sports presenter Dharmesh Seth and BBC Asian Radio Network presenter DJ Noreen Khan the Awards celebrates key achievement of players at both grassroots level and professional stage.
Now in its third consecutive year, the AFA saw Mohammed Zafran of South and City College Birmingham and the Founder of All 4 Youth & Community receive the ‘Inspiration Award,’ with him saying; “I feel honored to receive this award at the home of English football.
I am proud to win the award - especially after the horrific incidents in Paris, this Awards Ceremony could not have come at a better time to show the world that the wrong actions of some individuals does not stop other people from doing good and going out their way to make a difference in other people’s lives.
Together, in sport and education we can defeat all obstacles."
FA Chair, Greg Dyke, adds: “Congratulations to the Winners at the Asian Football Awards.
It is a timely reminder of some of the wonderful work being done at both grassroots level and in the professional game, in Asian communities right across the country.
I’m delighted that The FA’s Asian inclusion plan is helping to raise the profile of some of the work you’ll hear about at the event itself and that Wembley is the setting for this important event.”
