Where did the passion for football come about?

Since my childhood I was interested in football, kicking the ball with my brothers and school friends. I was a right tomboy and ended up playing for my school team. My passion was football and I realized how difficult it actually is to get into the sport. I was then scouted and played for many teams and that’s where it all started.

 

Were your parents supportive of your career path?  

My mother supported me, as long as I was happy and safe then she was fine. I was never really brought up with many restrictions. 

 

Did you have to deal with any problems being a girl in sport?

It’s a sport and the way I see it, is that girls can do what boys can do, but maybe better. I haven’t seen many Asian girls into sport, maybe it’s not advertised but everybody should get equal freedom to be involved in a sport that they love. Sometimes people wouldn’t except me as I am a girl, some would laugh and it can get sexist in the football sector but I just learnt to ignore it and moved on from it. I didn’t let it put me down. 

 

You must feel proud…

I am confident but I do feel shy at times. My frame of mind is ‘nothing can stop me’, and guys aren’t bothered to play with me either, they actually wanted me on their team! And yes I can cook! There are times when people can be quite sexist and some people think women are only good for playing tennis but women athletes are making their mark in the world of sports.

 

How did you cope with your career and personal life?

My mother and father had a divorce and I had to witness a lot of violence and mum then fell into depression. It stressed me out a lot and then my two brothers and I were then taken into foster care for half a year. Now my mother is remarried, settled down and really happy!  

 

How did Comic Relief come about?

I was in the Street League (Middlesborough), which is a project funded by Comic Relief. I then stopped playing football due to family problems and my fitness levels went low. But Street League then came and spoke to individuals about their lives and what affect it had and how it benefited me and I was chosen to be a part of it. It helped me overcome a lot of problems and I have grown to become confident and independent. I have a better outlook on life and which direction I want to go. If I didn’t enroll on the Street League (Middlesborough) course funded by Comic Relief, I wouldn’t be here today. I hope to travel, and do football coaching abroad. 

 

What’s Street League all about? 

Street League runs a structured sport and education programme for some of the most disadvantaged people across the UK. The programme helps to build participants' confidence, improve their health, extend their social networks and develop their employability skills.

 

Put together by London-based Saregama Events, the UK Tour will see Kailash and his band Kailasa visiting prestigious venues in London, Birmingham, Liverpool and Leicester from April 4th to the 9th.

 

Wednesday 4th April 2012 - Symphony Hall, Birmingham www.thsh.co.uk

 

Friday 6th April 2012 - Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool www.liverpoolphil.com

 

Sunday 8th April 2012 - HMV Hammersmith Apollo, London www.hmvtickets.co/venues/128

 

Monday 9th April 2012 - De Montfort Hall, Leicester www.demontforthall.co.uk

 

All the money you raise for Sport Relief will help people living unimaginably tough lives on your doorstep in the UK and across the world’s poorest countries.  To find out how you can get involved go to

www.sportrelief.com www.sportrelief.com/warmupworld