History has been made in Kent, as Rashpal Shergill becomes the first ever South Asian woman to referee a Kent County Cup Final.
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00:00 Well now history has been made here in Kent as the first ever South Asian woman
00:04 has refereed a Kent County Cup final.
00:07 Rashwa Shergill is a level 7 referee but she started after helping out at her
00:12 children's football games. Well delighted to say that she joined me in the studio.
00:17 Now thank you so much for coming in. Now how did you get into refereeing in the
00:23 first place? Just like that actually helping my children in their football
00:27 games. So we found that they needed volunteers to help them with their
00:31 training or helping the coaches out and one day it was actually they needed help
00:36 with refereeing a game. So no referee no football game. So the parents were asked
00:40 if they would help out and I found myself taking the whistle and just
00:45 having a go. I have to ask you do you regret decision or is it the best decision you've made?
00:48 No actually sometimes you do wonder absolutely but no absolutely the best
00:53 decision there is no representation out there for South Asian females. As you
00:58 just mentioned I was the first South Asian female to referee at Kent County
01:02 Cup finals. These finals have been going on since 1880s and to be the first
01:08 female just massive for the Asian South Asian community. I can see some pictures
01:12 of you in action there on the screen. Now it is South Asian Heritage Month what
01:18 does this mean to you to have this to have this achievement that you've
01:22 achieved this year? Oh it's absolutely massive just to inspire other females
01:27 and other South Asians. Again there's a lack of representation of South Asian
01:31 males as well so to you know to talk about it and to promote and share
01:36 stories share our lived experience and to get out there but also promoting it
01:41 to lots of other underrepresented groups. There's a lack of black females
01:46 and black male referees as well so just for everybody to join in and and give
01:52 that representation to the future of refereeing. And you have a little bit of
01:57 a background in football as well don't you? Yeah not a great not a massive
02:00 background as a child I didn't play football I did not even own a football
02:04 actually as a child football pitches were very scary places you know
02:08 unfortunately full of racism so actually I steered clear of football pitches as a
02:12 child. As an adult I saw a female player Asian in a football kit and I then joined
02:20 their football team and I played two seasons with the football team it's
02:24 called Guru Nanak Lehdu's Football Club in Gravesend and that's where I learned
02:28 the rules of football and felt confident on that day when my football when my
02:32 children's teams needed support with their football match I had a bit of
02:36 confidence behind me knowing the rules of football the laws of the game and
02:41 that's when I saw myself just having a go stepping up and having a go at
02:45 refereeing. And this year you've been recognised for what you're doing here
02:49 in Kent we've got some awards here on the table talk us through this talk us
02:53 through it. Yeah absolutely well this is the one that you've been talking about
02:56 the medal for the Kent County Cup final so a massive achievement and just really
03:03 proud really proud to to have that medal and I said just for the whole community
03:07 to inspire them we don't see women referees we don't see female referees we
03:12 don't see South Asian referees so just to let them know that you know we can
03:17 own it as well you know we belong there and the the award there was from the FA
03:24 and that is a National Referee Recognition Award for the work that I'm
03:28 doing in refereeing in the community. And he went to Wembley to pick this award up.
03:33 Yeah Wembley Stadium wow the heart of football it was it was so exciting yeah
03:40 no absolutely brilliant and you know to represent females and to represent South
03:44 Asians at Wembley Stadium absolutely mind-blowing. And what was it like to
03:49 step into Wembley and pick up that award? Oh I I took a deep breath I walked
03:56 really slowly to take that in because you know things like this don't happen
04:00 to me things like this may never happen ever again and just to really enjoy that
04:04 moment of accepting that award and taking that in it really was mind-blowing
04:09 absolutely. Well thank you so much for coming into the studio to talk about
04:13 this award and also what you're doing here in the county. I'm sure you have inspired