Welcome to Dev's Digest, a regular Sky Sports column in which Dev Trehan delivers exclusive news and reflects on the major developments for British South Asians in football. English football trailblazer Dilan Markanday has told Sky Sports News he is 'a hundred per cent' interested in playing for the Indian national team. In-form Chesterfield winger Markanday is a proud British-Indian, who last week celebrated five years since becoming the first British South Asian to play for Tottenham Hotspur in 140 years of the club's history.
But legislative requirements mean Indian diaspora and Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) are only able to represent the nation if they surrender their overseas passport and take up Indian citizenship. In the August edition of Dev's Digest, Sky Sports News exclusively revealed that Indian football chiefs are increasingly confident that diaspora footballers from Britain will eventually be allowed to play for the national team. Markanday has now explained why he went to watch Indian play against Jamaica in the Unity Cup this summer, admitting he would relish the opportunity of playing for the national side.
"A hundred per cent, I'm super interested in that happening," Markanday told Sky Sports News. "I went to watch the game against Jamaica in the summer and just thought what a great opportunity to watch them, see how they play, see the players and how they go about things. "I was really impressed with the quality of the players, how they carried themselves and their professionalism.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player "I'd love to be able to dive into that, add to that and be a part of that. I feel like I've got good quality to add to the team to hopefully go on, go to tournaments and compete at a good level. "I'd love to be able to be part of that.
Hopefully, one day it can happen." Hamza Choudhury's shirt from Leicester City's 2021 FA Cup final win against Chelsea fetched £7,000 at a charity auction in London on Sunday. In the last edition of Dev's Digest, Sky Sports News revealed the framed shirt would be auctioned at a Nujum Sports fundraiser for the Children Not Numbers charity, in aid of children affected by the conflict in Gaza. Around £90,000 was raised at the event held at Whitechapel Town Hall.
Choudhury's 2021 Community Shield winners' medal also sold for £3,000 after London restaurateur Haleem Kherallah landed Choudhury's FA Cup final shirt with a winning bid of £7,000. Choudhury told Sky Sports News he was pleasantly surprised about the amount raised, adding: "I'm proud to work with Nujum Sports and Children Not Numbers is an amazing charity to join up with." Choudhury will be in action for Bangladesh next week, with the country hosting the South Asian Football Federation Championship. And lining up alongside him could be 18-year-old striker Mohammed Mahe Khan, who plays for United Counties League Premier Division South side Moulton FC in the ninth tier of English football.
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