Bend it like Beckham in Rotherham
By Pramod Morjaria UK affairs reporter, BBC World Service, Rotherham
The players hope the sponsorship will launch their football careers
British Asians across the UK regularly play football in various leagues, yet they have not really gone on to super stardom status as top-class Premiership footballers.
Perhaps frustrated at not being able to break through, some are looking beyond the UK to make a name for themselves.
And football officials from their countries of origin are keen to take advantage of their young talent.
Opportunity
It is a sunny day in the northern England town of Rotherham and young Asian footballers of Pakistani origin are being put through their paces with various warm-up exercises before they play a match.
The day before, over 100 turned up from all over the UK for an earlier trial. Now only 25 are left.
But this is no ordinary game. The players are out to impress in the biggest match of their lives, with the prospect of one day playing for Pakistan at stake.
Members of Pakistan's football federation are here to cast their eyes on some of the talent on show with a view to choosing a lucky few to go to Pakistan on long-term sponsorships.
"It's like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Arfan says. "I've always dreamt of playing for Pakistan myself, so when I heard the opportunity was coming around, I took it with both hands.
"And now I'm here, and, Inshallah, I'll get there and I'll be one of the top players for Pakistan!" he adds, laughing.
Football has to play second fiddle in Pakistan to more established sports like cricket and hockey.
But Naveed Haider Khan, from the country's football federation, says it is beginning to thrive.
A national professional league has just been set up in Pakistan, with a coaching academy based in the city of Lahore.
Dream ticket
Mr Khan says success in Pakistan could eventually expose these footballers to more lucrative moves.
Michael Chopra is one of the few British-Asian football stars
"They'll be sponsored. And if they're really good enough they'll have an opportunity to play for the Pakistan team, which would give them an opportunity to be seen on television... by the scouts of the various Asian teams," Mr Khan says.
"We are already in the final stages of giving a few of our players an opportunity to play for various clubs in the Middle East and the Far East."
As the match gets underway, coaches from Rotherham football club are taking notes and discussing the abilities of the players on the pitch.
It is they who will decide who gets a ticket to play football in Pakistan.
Mick Priest, head of youth development at the club, says they are looking for players who would be able to fit into the club's youth team.
After toiling away for 90 minutes, it is decision time.
Sitting in front of the coaches, the players are all understandably nervous and the atmosphere is tense.
When the players names are announced, a ripple of applause breaks out.
Sofian Mahmoud, one of those chosen, says he was very nervous as the names were read out.
"Before he was announcing the names, my heart beat was going boom, boom, boom - but I'm over the moon!" Sofian says.
'Chuffed to bits'
I ask him what he thinks it will be like to go to the sponsored training camp in Lahore.
"Last time I went was when I was only one, so that's a good experience for me," Sofian says.
"You know, it's Pakistan. England as well as Pakistan is my country, so I'd like to go there and enjoy the football there as well and see what we can learn from them and what they can learn from us."
Those selected might be heading out as soon as next month.
Arfan, who spoke to me before the game, trudged away with his dreams shattered, or so we all thought.
But he later discovered that he too was one of two players lucky enough to be hand-picked by the Pakistan football federation in addition to the eight chosen earlier.
"I'm chuffed to bits myself, yeah... can't believe I finally made it. Just got to get my passport sorted and I'll be on my way!" he tells me, laughing.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6926463.stm
