Birmingham FA helped launch Kick It Out’s upcoming “One Game One Community” action events with a coaching session featuring international Bhangra artist, H Dhami, this week.
The “One Game One Community” project is Kick It Out’s annual anti-racism in football awareness week and highlights the contribution made to the game by Asian, Black and other ethnic minority groups while celebrating equality.
Last year saw over 1000 “One Game One Community” events across the country and this year’s programme is set to be the biggest yet with H Dhami kicking it all off with a special coaching session at Ryder Green Primary School in Birmingham.
Dhami, who recently picked up his Level One coaching badge, was delighted to be involved in the Kick It Out event: “I am fully in support of the ‘One Game One Community’ initiative as I feel strongly that there is absolutely no place for racism in football and in the community as a whole.
“To come here today and show my support to this campaign will hopefully encourage kids to acknowledge this initiative as well as inspiring youngsters from different ethnic communities to get into football.”
As a follow up to the coaching session, Dhami also helped lead a classroom session which addressed important issues of race by giving the Ryder Green children an opportunity to design their own One Game One Community T-shirts.
Dhami added: “The kids designed some fantastic T-shirts and we really got them to fully interact with the ‘One Game One Community’ campaign and show off their brilliant artistic skills, which, I have to add, matches their brilliant football talent as well!
“Under the right guidance I believe that we may have a number of top notch coaches and footballers in the making here.”
The Birmingham FA’s Football Development Manager, Natalie Justice, added: “It’s fantastic for the kids to have such a inspirational and positive role model like H Dhami to start the One Game One Community campaign in Birmingham.
“We are looking towards carrying out further sessions with H Dhami and hopefully encourage kids from all corners of the community to get into football as part of our wider remit.”