Sikh footballer sent off due to religious symbol

RELIGIONS NEWS AGENCY (REDNA) – A Sikh football player was sent off over dispute on his head covering.

The Sikh semi-professional footballer pushed a player from the other team who tried to remove his patka – the Sikh head covering.

Charan Basra, playing for Langford FC, a town in Bedfordshire,  was given a second yellow card and sent off.

In messages on Twitter, he said referees in a semi professional league should know about religious symbols.

There was a similar incident he suffered in another match and he felt he had to take action this time.

He said @UB1UB2:  “Just want to raise awareness so refs and players are aware the patka is a religious symbol so the younger generation doesn’t have to deal with this and for any youngster who is racially targeted on the pitch to know to stand up to it or raise it”.

The incident has been raised with the Football Association.