Feature'There is a deep sense of unity' - Liverpool FC celebrates South Asian Heritage Month

The month-long celebration, which runs from July 18 to August 17, honours the heritage of people in the South Asian countries of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives.

Here, Liverpoolfc.com meets a few of those with a strong Reds persuasion...

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Tanay Ganatra

Country/city: Born and brought up in Mumbai, India. I moved out of Mumbai when I was 24. I have lived in Auckland, New Zealand for the past nine years.

What does Liverpool FC mean to you?

Liverpool FC means the world to me. It is what my life revolves around. 'We are Liverpool: This means more' resonates immensely with me. Being a Liverpool FC fan is about being part of a global family that transcends boundaries and cultures. It's about sharing the joy of victory and the pain of defeat with fellow supporters, some of whom have become my closest friends for life.

It's a source of immense pride and an integral part of my identity. My friends, family and work colleagues all know me as 'that crazy Liverpool fan'. They often tease me about how my mood swings with the team's performance and how I can talk endlessly about every match, player and piece of club history. Whether it's wearing my Liverpool jersey to casual gatherings, planning my schedule around matchdays or having passionate discussions about our latest games, my passion for Liverpool FC is something everyone around me is well aware of. I even have the Liver bird tattooed on my arm. It's a big part of who I am and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's a lifelong commitment that enriches my life in countless ways.

How did you forge a connection with LFC?

Growing up in India in the late '90s and early 2000s, football was never really popular. There were hardly any friends at school or people around me who watched or played football. Game telecasts were also few and far between. I accidentally happened to watch a Liverpool game and that was it. I was hooked. Subsequently, I read about the history of the club and discovered the passion and unwavering support our fans have for the club. Hearing Anfield sing You'll Never Walk Alone before every game taught me what it was to stand by your team through thick and thin.

Around 2008, with the arrival of social media (a bit late in India), I came across a bunch of people in Mumbai who shared the same passion as me and supported Liverpool FC. We decided to watch a few games together. Initially, it was just eight to 10 of us. This led to the formation of 'Liverpool Mumbai Supporters Club'. We were an unofficial supporters club at that time who met to watch games week in, week out. We grew from eight to 10 people coming together to watch games in the 2008-09 season, to about 100 people in the 2009-10 season. And we never looked back after that. We kept growing in numbers.

Going to Anfield and watching a game was a distant dream back then due to the costs involved. The first time we felt a real sense of belonging to the club was when a few club coaches visited India for the Go Forward initiative along with Ian Rush in November 2011. The initiative was to have a football training camp for some young budding kids, many of whom were underprivileged. Some of us were lucky enough to meet Rush and also to be interviewed by journalists from the club. The next day our interviews were on the official Liverpool FC website. It was a dream come true and a giant leap forward in getting us recognised as an official Liverpool FC Supporters Club.

Subsequently, we got recognised as an OLSC in February 2013, becoming the first Liverpool FC supporters club in India along with LFC Delhi. In the coming years, we had the honour of hosting a few LFC legends like Rush and Robbie Fowler at LFC Mumbai matchday screenings. I was involved in the operations of OLSC Mumbai for six years before stepping away from my responsibilities in 2016 when I moved to Auckland. Currently, I am very much an integral member of the LFC New Zealand supporters club and I make sure I attend match screenings and other events whenever possible.

What is your favourite Liverpool FC moment or memory?

It's hard to single out a favourite memory. We've had so many great moments on the pitch, especially when Jürgen Klopp took over. But if I had to pick one, it would have to be the comeback against Barcelona at Anfield. Everything about it embodied what we are as a club.

If I talk about personal moments, there are so many. Some of these are:

• Travelling to Thailand from Mumbai in 2013 to watch Liverpool play a pre-season friendly. It was the first time I watched Liverpool play live. To top it off, I caught Martin Skrtel's match-worn jersey when he threw it into the crowd after the game. The first time is always special, and it remains one of my fondest memories.
• Meeting Jürgen and the whole squad in Sydney when they travelled for a post-season friendly in 2017. I even got a chance to take pictures with some of the players and Klopp – the stuff of dreams.
• I fulfilled my dream of visiting Anfield in 2019. It was genuinely one of the best days of my life. I have been lucky enough to visit Anfield a few times after that and nothing can ever match the emotion of those moments.

How important is your heritage to you?

I was born and brought up in India and I am extremely proud of my Indian heritage. It's the foundation of my identity and a source of immense pride. My perspectives and my actions today have been shaped by my Indian heritage. The traditions, principles and values that have been passed onto me through generations have made me the person I am today. They continue to add value to my present and I am sure they will guide me in my future. As someone of Indian heritage currently living in New Zealand, it keeps me connected to my roots and gives me a sense of belonging.

How is your heritage intertwined with Liverpool FC and do you see any similar values?

My Indian heritage and Liverpool FC are deeply connected through common values of community, resilience and pride. There is a deep sense of unity and support in both that resonates with me personally. Our anthem You'll Never Walk Alone showcases a sense of togetherness that aligns with the teachings and values of my culture. Both my heritage and my connection to the club emphasise the importance of standing together through the bad times and celebrating both the highs and lows together as a unit. This common thread of loyalty and determination enriches my experience and deepens my appreciation for both.

"Atithi Devo Bhava" or "The guest is God" is a cherished saying in Indian culture that emphasises the importance of hospitality and treating others with respect and kindness. Similarly, Liverpool FC embodies a spirit of welcoming and inclusiveness, especially when it comes to fans from all over the world. The club has always been warm and welcoming to us supporters who live thousands of miles away. I've always felt a strong sense of belonging whenever I've been in Liverpool. The same holds true for any place in the world where I am watching a game or meeting fellow Reds.

The night we met the LFC community coaches and the LFCTV crew in Mumbai for the first time in November 2011, Matt Walker – the LFCTV senior producer at that time – called us 'a little piece of L4 4,000 miles away in the heart of Mumbai'. We were truly humbled, so much so that we made a banner with that quote. The banner gets taken to Anfield whenever someone from OLSC Mumbai travels to Liverpool for a game. We left our meeting that night knowing that there really is such a thing as the Liverpool family, that transcends borders and unites us all.

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Amritpal Singh Deol

Country/city: UK, Staffordshire

What does Liverpool FC mean to you?

It is a huge part of my life, so a lot! It means passion, unity, friends, family, determination and life! The club and the city have been a huge influence on me and my family and what our plans are every weekend.

Over the last 20-odd years, going to the match has given me the opportunity to get away from life's troubles and supporting the team in good and bad times on the pitch with like-minded people. When I first started attending games, my parents had passed away and I was in a difficult place and what helped me get away from that nightmare was going to watch the Reds. By coming to the match, it was my release from the pressures I was feeling at home as a single Sikh young man who was the only male in the family, so [I] was under more cultural pressures. Over the years, meeting and seeing friends (more than my own relations) every week and all over the UK and Europe has given me priceless memories. Even more so now after becoming a dad and my children are part of that journey too, which has been amazing.

How did you forge a connection with LFC?

My cousins playing videos of the Roy Evans teams of the '90s with Fowler scoring every type of goal, McManaman skipping past defenders and Barnes and Rush still proving they had it towards the end of their careers. Just like every schoolboy playing football with his mates, you pretended to be one of these players. Going to Anfield for the first time under Gerard Houllier was massive for me and will stay with me forever, although being in the Kop for the first time versus Olympiacos when Gerrard scored was one of my favourite early memories of going to the match, especially as my dad was really ill at that point.

What is your favourite Liverpool FC moment or memory?

There's so many to choose from. Olympiacos in 2004-05, wins in the league, especially away v Everton, Manchester United and Manchester City. The famous stadiums and cities visited around Europe, including Shevchenko Park in 2018 and the Madrid final in 2019. But the Champions League final is just edged by the Carabao Cup 2022 win v Chelsea. This is because it was my first final with my daughter, who was six at the time. To see her crying out of joy after the penalty shootout, I could see how much it meant to her. It made me feel so proud! It made me think, 'Wow, she gets it.' The Reds winning trophies is what we are about and I could see how relieved she was!

How important is your heritage to you?

It is hugely important to me, especially knowing my parents have passed away, so I have always felt it was my duty to continue learning my heritage and ensure that my children learn and continue to represent. I also want my children to know how difficult life can be as where my family is from in Panjab, you see how hard they have to work to earn and it makes you appreciate the life that we have. My culture and faith is becoming a bigger and bigger aspect of my family's day-to-day life. I only see this growing.

How is your heritage intertwined with Liverpool FC and do you see any similar values?

Well, like the banner says: Unity is strength. I feel that we look after our own and we know right from wrong. We aren't afraid of standing up for what we believe in. Key attributes that I hope my children will stand by for the rest of their lives!

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Aklima Akthar

Country/city: UK, Bradford

What does Liverpool FC mean to you?

What Liverpool FC means to me is that the club has a sense of community and belonging. Fans have been supporting the club, which creates lifelong friendships and connections with other supporters around the world, which is important.

How did you forge a connection with LFC?

Growing up, I have watched my dad support the football club over the years and I myself have also grown with this love. It brought our relationship much closer because we have bonded over watching live matches at home, which creates unique bonds and also makes the experience more memorable for us.

What is your favourite Liverpool FC moment or memory?

My favourite LFC memory is any time I watch a match with my family. The atmosphere in the house is amazing and also it brings us all together. There's so much excitement in the room.

How important is your heritage to you?

As a British Bangladeshi, my heritage is important for me as it allows me to have a sense of belonging within a community. It allows me to connect to my ancestors and understand my cultural lineage and roots. Understanding my Bangladeshi heritage can allow me to have pride and appreciation for my family history and traditions, which I am able to contribute to society both in the UK and Bangladesh itself.

How is your heritage intertwined with Liverpool FC and do you see any similar values?

Liverpool FC have a large fan base, which includes many British Bangladeshis who have a strong connection to the club. The rise of players from South Asia into professional football is inspiring for young people in Bangladesh, in which they will learn skills and hopefully achieve their dreams of becoming pro footballers in the future.

More information on Red Together, the club's work in equality diversity and inclusion, is available here.

Red Together is part of The Red Way: Liverpool FC's ongoing commitment to creating a better future for our people, planet and communities.