'Your religion, skin colour or disability should not impact how you can be a part of football'

Muslims across the world are currently observing the holy month of Ramadan so we thought what better time to catch up with England Blind international Azeem Amir to discuss what the celebration means to him and also to hear how it impacts his training as a footballer.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, and this year began on Monday 11 March and is expected to end on the evening of Tuesday 9 April, depending on the sighting of the moon.

During this time, healthy adult Muslims fast from dawn until dusk, meaning that for around 15 hours of the day, they abstain from drinking or eating anything, whilst observing several acts of worship, expressing gratitude and often giving to charity.

Amir, who is part of the England Blind men’s team, said: “For me, Ramadan is all about thinking about those who are less fortunate on a wider scale when it comes to food, water, money and different things like that. It is an opportunity to spend a bit of time reflecting on that and how fortunate I am.

“Obviously I can’t necessarily change people’s circumstances as an individual, but I can think about it and I can incorporate it into my life so when I am getting a bit ‘hangry’ and things like that, I can step back and think actually I am so lucky.”

Amir has a condition called Ocular Auricular Syndrome and has no sight in his right eye and only light perception in his left, meaning he can pick out light shapes and shadows from an arm’s distance but struggles to see beyond that.

The 25-year-old has not let his condition hold him back in life though. After discovering blind football at a Playground to Podium talent tracking event held at Matthew Moss High School in Rochdale as part of the Summer Games, he has gone on to represent his country at European and World Championships, as well as taking on a host of challenges away from football, such as Tough Mudder.

Amir is renowned for his positive outlook and aims to inspire and educate not only as an England international but also through his business Learn with ESS, which delivers disability awareness training to schools, corporate businesses and organisations.

And last year, following a routine meeting with the FA’s Physical Performance & Strategic lead for Para Teams, Dave Sims, the RNC Hereford player helped improve the experience of all Muslim players in the England Para Programme.

Sims had travelled up to Amir’s hometown of Rochdale for a meeting and after getting into a conversation about what it is like for footballers to observe Ramadan, the England Blind star suggested the coach should try fasting for a day to experience it firsthand.

On the drive home, Sims thought he would give fasting a go the following day and by 2pm, he was struggling with low energy and a bad headache.

For the next couple of weeks, Sims continued to fast while trying to work out the best times to train, what type of session was most beneficial and generally attempting to experience what it was like to be a footballer while observing Ramadan.

Sims said: “I am actually quite a light water drinker myself but with the lack of water, come 2pm, I was having to take myself for a walk just to keep myself awake and I would have pounding headaches. There were also symptoms you didn’t even think of.

“The feeling of hunger dissipated after a few days but the lack of water when you were training or in the afternoon after training was really tough.”

Amir added: “I have a lot of respect for Dave Sims for what he did last year. They saw we have a lot more players in the Para programme now who observe Ramadan and how it is a part of our lives and a part of our beliefs, and they recognised that football should work around that.

“It was class and it means we can still feel like we are still moving forward and improving during Ramadan.”

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Since last year, a Muslim player group for those in the Para programme has been created, where the likes of Sims and Para Physio Lead Osman Hassan Ahmed provide advice for the players around best practice whilst fasting and also receive feedback from the players on their experiences. A nutritional guide with some ‘quick wins’ has also been created.

Sims said: “Azeem was class throughout my fasting experience and he even asked me and my wife to come break fast with his family. We went to his grandma’s house in Rochdale with all of his family and they treated us so well.

“It was so nice to be invited to experience Azeem’s culture and even from a scientist's point of view, it gave me a chance to see what he was eating and assess the nutritional value of the food.

“That was partly where the document was derived from. What could we produce that fits within the culture but also provides the nutritional boost the players need if they are training or if they are resting?

“I can’t profess to know everything – I have obviously only dipped my toe into it – but it has certainly helped me emphasise with the players who are observing Ramadan because it is really, really hard.”

He continued: “With the player group that we have now, the players can give us advice around what their wants and needs are for next year and help us put things in place.

“Like I said, I can’t profess to know everything but we want to know as much as we can so we can help the players, whether they are training at home or on camp.”

Amir believes education is hugely important in improving the experiences of Muslims in football and spoke of the importance of events like the free Iftar meals taking place at stadiums across the country this month.

On Wednesday, the FA hosted its sixth annual Iftar event at Wembley Stadium, with more than 300 people attending.

And Amir reiterated: “Your religion, the colour of your skin or your disability should not impact how you can be a part of football.”

If you are a non-Muslim player, coach or administrator and want to ensure your footballing environment is as inclusive and welcoming as possible, you can find the FA’s ‘Ramadan & Football’ guidance here.