Sporting Khalsa to host Punjab United in a pre-season fixture in mid-July ahead of South Asian Heritage Month; Sporting Khalsa's Jas Batt: "Both clubs showcase so much of what’s right about our game. This fixture builds on our blossoming relationship with Punjab United"
Thursday 1 June 2023 16:19, UK
Sporting Khalsa will host Punjab United in a celebratory pre-season friendly, days before the start of South Asian Heritage Month.
The two teams will meet at Sporting Khalsa's home ground in Willenhall ahead of South Asian Heritage Month, which has grown considerably in recent years and runs between July 18 and August 17.
The sides have faced each other in recent years at the Diversity Football Festival, including at Punjab United's Steve Cook Stadium two years ago, in a friendly tournament that also featured Sporting Bengal United and Leicester Nirvana.
Khalsa sporting director Jas Batt told Sky Sports News: "It's really exciting to welcome our brothers and sisters from Punjab United to the West Midlands for this exciting pre-season clash.
"We've enjoyed a very good campaign and Punjab United have just come off the back of cup success by winning the Kent Senior Trophy, so there is plenty for us to celebrate together.
"Both clubs showcase so much of what's right about our game. This fixture builds on our blossoming relationship with Punjab United."
Sky Sports News understands discussions between the two teams about playing a friendly ahead of the new season advanced during a recent FA faith and football event, which also saw a first-of-its-kind timeline and display documenting the history of South Asian heritage female players go on display at the home of English football.
Punjab United play in the Premier Division of the Southern Counties East Football League, and enjoyed a fairytale end to last season season by lifting the Kent Senior Trophy.
Jayden Hussain scored a hat-trick in a 6-0 win for Punjab United over Deal Town at Maidstone United's Gallagher Stadium.
Sporting Khalsa, who were founded in 1991 and whose men's first team play in the Northern Premier League Midlands Division, in the eighth tier of English football, are the most successful club ever to come out of Britain's South Asian community.
They finished last season as the third-highest scorers across the divisions in the Northern Premier League in what was their debut campaign at Step 4 of the National League System.
Punjab United and Sporting Khalsa both have girls' teams. Sporting Khalsa also have a thriving women's side, who are firmly established and playing in the fourth tier of English football.
Sporting Khalsa hosted a training day earlier this year, offering South Asian heritage female players the chance to represent the Apna England Lionesses at the first women-only Copa Del CL tournament, in aid of Cure Leukaemia.
Ahead of South Asian Heritage Month last year, West Bromwich Albion forward Mariam Mahmood opened up to Sky Sports News about her journey in the game and her affection for the Baggies in her first interview with a major platform.
Three days into 2021 South Asian Heritage Month, Sky Sports News exclusively revealed British-Bangladeshi trailblazer and West Ham academy graduate Anwar Uddin was joining the FA Council.
For more stories, features and videos, visit our groundbreaking South Asians in Football page on skysports.com and South Asians in the Game blog and stay tuned to Sky Sports News and our Sky Sports digital platforms.
