“I think BGS is something little Layla would have loved to have, so I could point at someone and be like ‘ I want to be like her’. Hopefully, BGS becomes that platform where girls who come from similar backgrounds as us can be like I can do it because they are!”
Naomi Dattani
Hampshire Cricketer and former player for the Hundred’s London Spirit
India Bharadwaj
“Being an ambassador gives me the opportunity to reach different people, be a role model, and share my story. And hopefully inspire more people.”
“In the women’s game, more specifically, it’s all about education around sport being a career. The barriers are parents not knowing it’s a possibility and also they don’t see enough South Asian representation at the highest levels yet so we definitely need to have more conversations within the communities as well as in the sport itself with coaches and trying to find the best ways to get more girls to play in the pathways and get to the professional levels as well.”
“Being South Asian, it’s something I’ve always been aware of, even from when I was really young. Growing up, cricket was such a big part of my life, but I don’t think I realised at the time how different my experience was compared to some of my teammates.”
“My brother was a massive influence on me, we played lots of sports in the back garden, and he was the first person who said I was good at sport. He said I had good hand-eye coordination and encouraged me to join a local boys’ team at the time. Then later on in my playing career, Beth Morgan was my Middlesex captain and worked so hard with 100% effort and commitment, and now I have the pleasure of her being my coach.”
Lucindha Lawson
Member of the Para Lionesses, England deaf national team and Deaflympics bronze medallist
India Bharadwaj
“Being an ambassador for Brown Girl Sport is about equality, inclusion, diversity and visibility. It means challenging stereotypes, amplifying underrepresented voices, and showing that South Asian women belong in sport at every level.”
“My biggest influence has been my younger self, wanting to prove that I belonged in spaces where I didn’t always see people who looked like me or shared my lived experience. Supportive coaches and teammates later reinforced that sport can be a powerful tool for building confidence and creating opportunities.
“The main challenges are access and progression, including clear pathways and funding, as well as representation in leadership. For women from ethnic minority and disabled backgrounds, unconscious bias and a lack of visible role models can still limit opportunities. Inclusion needs to go beyond participation and into decision-making spaces.”
Asmita Ale
Plays for Leicester City FC – for several years, Ale was the only British South Asian player in the WSL
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