Birmingham's Muslim girls hockey scheme poised to expand

Amayah was among the girls taking part and said she had made new friends

A project aimed at getting more Muslim girls in Birmingham playing hockey could be expanded across the country due to its popularity.

About 40 children, aged from 8-16, have been going to weekly sessions in the city held since the Commonwealth Games.

The aim was to build on the event's legacy and make the sport more diverse, England Hockey and the Muslim Sports Foundation (MSF) said.

"The numbers have been good every week," coach Christine Dalby-Ali said.

"If you ask them about it they all really enjoyed it. Kids coming back every single week, bringing their friends. It's been great fun."

Amayah was one of the youngsters turning up to the sessions in Small Heath.

"I really like how we all get to join together and make new friends and how we can exercise and stay healthy," she said.

Children have come back and brought friends, coach Christine Dalby-Ali said

The Commonwealth Games, in Birmingham in 2022, saw England's women beat Australia to win gold for the first time at the event.

Steven Bradley, from England Hockey, said they were keen to build on the success of the Games.

He added they also wanted to break down perceived barriers to the sport including a perception only certain groups or people played it.

"I'm trying to break those stereotypes down by offering sessions to schools through partnerships with local clubs," he said.

The group and MSF have begun to look at other places in the UK where they could expand the scheme.

More role models in the sport were key, Sahiba Majeed, from the Muslim Sports Foundation, said

Increasing the number of role models in the sport for children to see was vital, Sahiba Majeed, from the foundation, said.

"The more role models we get, the more positive experiences we can make, the more grassroots participation we can get and hopefully the grassroots will funnel into clubs," she added.