Football: Asia

(asked on 27th May 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to increase participation and representation of people from Asian backgrounds in football (a) nationally and (b) within their local communities.


Answered by
Nigel Huddleston Portrait
Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
This question was answered on 7th June 2021

The Government is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in sport and physical activity, including football. Our strategy ‘Sporting Future’ sets out a clear ambition to increase levels of physical activity amongst under-represented groups, working closely with our arm’s length and national bodies to achieve this. We are in regular dialogue with the football authorities across a range of matters, including increasing diversity.

We support the efforts of The FA in their work with Asian communities, as the largest ethnic minority group in the country, through the FA Asian Inclusion Plan. The plan focuses on tackling Asian underrepresentation at all levels of the game, both locally and nationally. The five pillars of the strategy work to ensure that intersectional participation, and representation, is occurring from grassroots all the way through to elite pathways and governance. Further details about the plan can be found here: https://www.thefa.com/news/2021/may/06/fa-asian-inclusion-strategy-update-20210506

We also welcomed the launch of The FA’s ‘Football Leadership Diversity Code’ last year, which is a step in the right direction to ensure English football better represents our modern and diverse society, on and off the pitch. The FA has committed to following this with a version adapted for the National League System and grassroots clubs this year.

Opportunities for participation are crucial too. The Government invests £18m a year into football facilities, through the Football Foundation, to improve access to quality facilities across the country with an additional £25m announced at Budget for this year as well. Inclusivity forms a part of the assessment criteria for any application for funding from the Foundation, with it being a core value of the organisation.

However, there is still progress to be made and the Government will continue to liaise closely with the football authorities on their efforts to improve diversity in the sport.

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