I Didn’t Know I Needed This Until I Was In It
“What would you say to those girls about their place in sport as someone who has created such a big moment in their lives?” asked Miriam Walker-Khan, founder of Brown Girl Sport, to ‘Bend It Like Beckham’ director Gurinder Chadha.
“I’d say to all the girls present, you guys are at the right place at the right time.”
That is exactly how I felt, sitting in the Bonetti Suite of Stamford Bridge, along with probably the biggest group of South Asians I had ever seen in a football stadium.
To mark the first month of 2026, we had all come to Chelsea FC to celebrate the third anniversary of Brown Girl Sport, a platform and community representing South Asian women in sport.
The collective founded by sports journalist Miriam Walker-Khan back in 2023 is committed to “smashing through stereotypes of South Asian women in sport, one story at a time”. It advocates for visibility, access, and opportunities to uplift women and do their stories justice.
After checking my Instagram shared activity, I’m proud to have followed the journey of Brown Girl Sport for half of its existence. Having kept up with their progress for almost two years, attending my first event at their Euros watch party last summer, and now being invited to their anniversary celebration – what a feeling it was to walk into that room and meet the community.
Armed with matcha lattes, Brown Girl Sport branded gift bags slung on shoulders, and adorned with fresh henna (because what is a South Asian event without a henna artist?), guests took to their seats to hear from the panel speakers.
The Legacy of Bend It Like Beckham
Many of us did not expect actor Ameet Chana from the Bend It Like Beckham movie to kick off the event. And we most certainly did not expect to hear from the pioneer Gurinder Chadha, who directed the movie (albeit through a pre-recorded video message).
For those who may not know, Bend It Like Beckham was – and still remains – the most iconic movie about a South Asian girl playing football. No question. Even I remember watching it as a kid, even though it was released in 2002 when I was less than a year old.
It is an ingrained memory for many British Asians of all ages as the first representation of a brown girl playing sport on TV. I could tell when hearing the whole room laughing over the hilarious quotes and bonding over induced memories.
“Anyone can cook aloo gobi, but who can bend a ball like Beckham?”
Chadha carved a path out in an industry where the odds were stacked against her to tell a story that so many still treasure. She broke barriers and reached out a hand to every brown girl, saying it is possible to honour our heritage and also play sport.
And now such legacies are being replicated, through Miriam and Brown Girl Sport.
Chadha’s words resonated from the projector around the room, spurring these stories to continue on. “This is for you. This is your future. Manifest that success, because it’s there for the taking. Go for it.”
Have you ever been the ‘only’ in a room?
The bustle in the room never stopped. Part of the event was a complimentary ticket to the WSL Chelsea v Arsenal match, but after the panel talk, I had lost all care for the match happening outside. I was buzzing around the room with a remarkable group of women, some who I had just met, with a desire to stay and speak to as many people as possible.
The biggest thing that stood out to me was when host Liz Mary Ward and music label founder Omar Khan addressed the room asking: “Put your hand up if you have ever been the ‘only’ in the room?” – and all of us in the room put our hands up.
A room with so much diversity in itself. Young girls rubbing shoulders with professional athletes. BCOMS members and alumni beside me. Sports fans. Parents. Supporters. Allies. Creatives. A music label owner. A Bend It Like Beckham actor.
We finally had a space for ourselves and we were going to make the most of not being the ‘only’ for once. This is what it meant to have a room of our own. In this room, we belonged.
A whole new level for Brown Girl Sport
As the event came to a close, with frantic goodbyes to newly-made friends and last-minute group photos, I grabbed a quick word with the founder, Miriam.
How happy are you with today?
“I feel like I’m going to cry just from how special today has been, how many beautiful people have been in the same place, how many people have said they needed a space like this. It’s just been the most incredible day.”
A lot of big plans are coming up. Are you excited for what’s to come for Brown Girl Sport?
“I think it’s going to be a whole new level for Brown Girl Sport. We built this incredible foundation, and now it’s time to really get practical and change the culture of sport in this country, because that’s what it needs for South Asian women.”
To mark the occasion, Miriam had announced a number of exciting plans for Brown Girl Sport.
After an extremely long day and countless hours speaking to many new faces, it resonated with me again on my way home: I really was in the right place at the right time.
