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Premier League, the top-flight English club football competition, got its first Sikh assistant referee on Wednesday, when Bhupinder Singh Gill was seen running the line at Southampton's home ground St Mary's in their match against Nottingham Forest.
Football is part of Bhupinder's DNA, with his father Jarnail Singh being the first turbaned Sikh referee in an English league and his brother Sunny following in his dad's footsteps.
"This has to be the proudest and most exciting moment in my refereeing journey, but I'm not getting carried away as it is just another step in the direction to where I want to get to," Bhupinder said, talking to reporters."
"Hopefully, this is another moment to help inspire the next generation to sign up to a refereeing course and get into officiating," he added.
"My dream has always been to reach the top of the game, be a role model for future officials and encourage more people from diverse backgrounds into officiating, especially from a South Asian background just like me."
His father, Jarnail, officiated in over 150 matches in the Football League (EFL) between 2004 and 2010, while brother Sunny is also an EFL referee. But Bhupinder has progressed to become a Premier League official.
Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the group in charge of regulating refereeing in England, has praised Gill's selection as a referee, said Howard Webb, the organisation's chief refereeing officer.
The 2010 World Cup final was overseen by Webb, a former Premier League official who quit the Professional Referee Organisation for Major League Soccer in December and moved back to England.
Speaking about his dreams, Gill stated that he is optimistic his selection will inspire the next generation to pursue a refereeing course and become interested in officiating.
He said, "My dream has always been to reach the top of the game, be a role model for future officials and encourage more people from diverse backgrounds into officiating, especially from a South Asian background just like me"
