SRINAGAR – Real Kashmir Football Club will have a new face during this year’s I-League tournament — British citizen Kashif Siddiqi — one of the founders of ‘Football for Peace’, who has been loaned to the club by the UK-based Oxford United.
The 33-year-old Siddiqi is the co-founder of ‘Football For Peace (FFP)’, which was established in 2006 by FIFA and Chilean legend Elias Figueroa at the United Nations New York Office under the directorship of Dr Djibril Diallo and former secretary general the late Kofi Annan.
The FFP has been active in building platform of neutrality and dialogue.
Born to a Ugandan mother and Indian father, who hails from Lucknow, Siddiqi is very excited for playing with RKFC.
Clearing the air about playing for Pakistani team, the footballer said few years back he had been approached by India and Pakistan federations to play for them.
“Indian side wanted me to give up my British citizenship and I did not want that as my mother had struggled so hard for that. This citizenship means my mother’s blessing to me,” Siddiqi said.
“I represented Pakistan as a overseas British South Asian footballer. I don’t have any Pakistani heritage. My heritage comes from India and Africa,” he said.
Siddiqi, inspired by his mother’s struggles from Africa to the UK, formed a new brand with global relevance and propelled this initiative internationally with an aim to reconcile humanity, says the website of FFP.
The 33-year-old has vast experience of playing in the United Kingdom, United States and the Gulf.
He will be joining Mason Robertson and Loveday Enyinnaya, who have been playing for RKFC also known as ‘Snow Leapords’. He is the second overseas players after Kallum Higginbotham signed by the club this season.
