29th September 2026

The Clementine, Syon Park Estate, London

Inventive Sports is delighted to announce the sixth edition of the Asian Football Awards, set to take place on 29th September 2026 at The Clementine, Syon Park in London.

Established to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of British South Asians in football, the Asian Football Awards (AFA) has become an important platform within the game. The awards shine a light on the breadth of talent across the community, from coaches and volunteers to players, administrators, and supporters, all united by a deep love for football.

Inventive Sports, the global sports consultancy behind the AFA, is committed to promoting future champions across multiple sports. With a strong track record in football consultancy work across the UK, Europe, and India, Inventive Sports founder and CEO Baljit Rihal launched the Asian Football Awards in 2012 with a clear goal: to increase visibility and create meaningful recognition for South Asians in football.

Following a successful edition in 2024, where 350 people came together to celebrate the successes of South Asians in football, the awards continue to grow in profile and impact. The 2024 event was supported by The FA, the PFA, the Premier League, Fans for Diversity, and PGMOL.

Building on the success of the Asian Football Awards, Inventive Sports has also delivered the Asian Cricket Awards, creating further platforms to spotlight outstanding British South Asian role models in sport.

The Asian Football Awards recognises British South Asians with heritage from the countries aligned with the Official South Asian Heritage Month organisation: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

Nominations are invited across a range of categories covering the professional game, non-league, grassroots, media, coaching, match officiating, fan culture, community impact and inclusion. When submitting a nomination, please provide clear information about the nominee’s achievements, impact and contribution during the relevant period. The judging panel will consider performance, progress, leadership, visibility, influence and the wider positive impact the nominee has made within football.

The categories and criteria for this year’s Awards are set out below.

Women’s Player
Recognising an outstanding professional female player of South Asian heritage who has made a strong impact through performance, progress, leadership or contribution to the game.

Men’s Player
Recognising an outstanding professional male player of South Asian heritage who has demonstrated excellence, consistency, progress or influence within football.

Young Player (Female u23)
Recognising an emerging female player of South Asian heritage, aged over 16, who has shown exceptional promise, development, commitment and potential for the future.

Young Player (Male u23)
Recognising an emerging male player of South Asian heritage, aged over 16, who has shown exceptional promise, development, commitment and potential for the future.

Non-League Player
Recognising a South Asian heritage player making an impact within the non-league game through performance, dedication, progress or contribution to their club and community.

Match Official
Recognising a referee, assistant referee or match official of South Asian heritage who has shown excellence, commitment, progress or leadership within the officiating pathway.

Coach
Recognising a coach or manager of South Asian heritage who has made a positive impact through player development, leadership, results, mentoring or wider contribution to the game.

Media
Recognising an individual or organisation working in football media, broadcasting, journalism, content creation or storytelling who has helped raise visibility and shape the football conversation.

Grassroots
Recognising an individual, project or organisation making a meaningful impact at grassroots level, creating opportunities and supporting participation within football.

Community Club
Recognising a football club that has made a positive contribution to its local community, particularly through inclusion, representation, participation and support for South Asian communities.

Inspiration
Recognising an individual whose journey, achievements, leadership or contribution has inspired others and helped open doors for South Asians in football.

The Flowhesion Community Cohesion & Inclusion Award
Recognising a project, organisation or initiative using football to bring communities together, promote inclusion, break down barriers and create positive social impact.

Fan Group
Recognising a fan group that has made a positive contribution to football culture through representation, inclusion, campaigning, community engagement or support for South Asian voices in the game.