Ikram Butt
Thinking about sporting heroes for Asians in Britain, names such as Imran Khan and Sachin Tendulkar will constantly be mentioned, but one man who continues to be overlooked is Ikram Butt.
For someone who has left a lasting legacy on the sport of rugby league in this country, being the only British Asian to play for Great Britain at international level, he deserves more recognition than he receives from his community.
Young children growing up who are searching for someone to idolise in sport, need not look further than Butt.
“South Asians are just as passionate about sport as anyone else,” the 40-year-old explained when asked about his lack of appreciation.
However, he went on to say: “There are many barriers which need to be broken down and bridges to be built so that the sport is more inclusive to the wider community.”
It all began at the age of nine, when he participated in rugby league at school. With his older brother Khurshid also playing the sport, he felt it was a natural progression for him.
The support given by his father meant he could pursue his goal of becoming a professional, and at the age of nineteen he followed in the footsteps of hero John Holmes, by making his first team debut for Leeds.
But it was a successful five year period at Featherstone Rovers where the centre or right winger made his mark on the game, leading him to gain international honours in 1995.
“Representing Great Britain was the proudest moment in my career,” he reminisced gleefully.
In spite of this, there have been incidents in his career which he would rather forget.
“Unfortunately, there were instances when I was a victim of racism from spectators and even opposing players,” he said glumly.
Butt continued by describing a particular experience. “An occasion I remember vividly is when a player racially abused me. I made the match official aware of this who wrote it down in his report.
“The disciplinary panel found him guilty and, subsequently, banned him for the maximum eight games.”
A fair punishment you may feel for the treatment that Butt got, yet he wasn’t ready for the blow he was about to receive.
The aggressor appealed against the decision and, amazingly, the original verdict was overturned and the player was let off.
And actions like could be why Asians would not want to get involved in a sport that is predominantly followed by the white, working-class.
An outsider looking in would like to be welcomed and made to feel wanted in territory they haven’t entered before.
Butt feels the problem stems from the top.
“I wonder if certain individuals in key positions within rugby league really do want to make the sport more inclusive to the South Asian communities.”
“There are many people involved in the game, in senior roles, who lack the awareness and understanding of engaging with their community,” he suggested.
This could be seen as a serious problem if the authorities are lacking the fundamental knowledge of the way to communicate and interact with the minorities.
Due care and attention is required to make sure that people aren’t being left out or neglected because of their background or culture.
But to combat this, the RFL have appointed an Equity and Diversity Manager, who will be working to get more people involved in the sport.
By doing this, it shows they are looking to make a positive impact on the wider regions that may have been left untouched in the past.
And Butt is optimistic that this can finally be a breakthrough to find a future Super League star.
“I am in no doubt that rugby league would be fully embraced by British kids of South Asian origin. They can play a significant part in developing the game at all levels,” he believes.
The British Asian Rugby Association (BARA) was founded by Ikram Butt himself, to encourage South Asians to participate in rugby league.
The launch of BARA was aimed at sending out a strong message showing that they do enjoy playing rugby league.
It also provided a way to give some acknowledgement to individuals who have played the game at a very high level.
Following the launch, BARA competed in a number of games against various teams including Batley Bulldogs to initially promote its objectives, as well as, offering Asian role models through sport.
In addition, BARA organises coaching education courses so that there are more people from South Asian backgrounds who are qualified to assist others.
In turn, they are able to connect with children and young people to raise their aspirations.
“BARA will continually strive to make rugby league more inclusive to the wider South Asian communities. This is why we are currently lobbying parliamentarians to force the issue upon the rugby league governing bodies,” said Butt.
It seems he is on a quest to single-handedly spread the game around Britain. Being the first British Asian to represent England, around 16 years ago, it is worrying that no-one has followed in his path.
Saquib Murtza has the accolade of being the first Asian player to sign for the Sheffield Eagles. Plying his trade in the second-row, he is someone that is unique in National League One.
However, Bradford Bulls have a player in their junior academy who is ranked highly by the club.
Abdul Khan, who signed for the Bulls from amateur side Shaw Cross, is seen as the one with the potential to, one day, emulate Ikram Butt.
And head-coach Steve McNamara feels that Khan has the capability to do well in the sport and described him as “a big, strong lad who is adapting himself well.”
He continued by saying: “Coming from a cultural background that is not renowned for producing rugby league players, he can attract people to the club and bring supporters to the ground.”
But the question remains whether individuals like Murtza and Khan, and organisations such as BARA can be the reason why there may be more Asian participation in the sport.
Shamoon Hafez
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