Barriers can be broken, says pioneering footballer

Mal Benning, a footballer who has made over 500 senior appearances for clubs including Walsall, Mansfield Town, Port Vale, and Shrewsbury Town, has been honoured with the South Asian Pioneer Award. Speaking about the significance of his achievement, Benning expressed his growing responsibility to serve as a role model and mentor for young South Asian footballers, stating, "Hopefully it proves that it is achievable and barriers can be broken in that stereotype of Asians can't play football."

Benning, now at AFC Telford United, believes that the sport has a long way to go before it sees proper representation of South Asian players. He pointed out that the scouting system often overlooks these players, and that his own career was heavily influenced by his father, who took him around the country to pursue his passion for football. Benning's father's mantra was that he had to be "25% better" to stand out as someone from a Sikh, South Asian background.

During his career, Benning has only seen a small handful of footballers from similar backgrounds to his own. He noted that there are signs that barriers are beginning to break down, with parents encouraging their children to participate in football and other sports where they can showcase their talent. Benning emphasized the importance of parental support in nurturing young players from South Asian backgrounds.

To drive change, Benning believes that the game needs to provide a fairer chance for players from South Asian backgrounds. He called for improvements in the scouting system, stating, "I think there needs to be a fair opportunity in the scouting system to be honest, and hopefully that can change in the future." Benning expressed his passion for seeing more Asians involved in football and feels that it is his responsibility to act as a role model and mentor for young players like himself. He aspires to help them secure first-team appearances and forge successful careers in the sport.