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But while she\u2019d reached the pinnacle of youth football, the sport had never intersected with her Chinese identity. \u201cI grew up in a very, very white town, and I was always the only Asian on the pitch,\u201d she continues. \u201cOne time there was a girl who was Filipino on the opposite team, and I remember that being a real thing for me, like: \u2018Oh, there\u2019s another Asian here.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n
It’s an experience shared by Jun, who grew up in South Wales<\/a>, before moving to London over a decade ago, and many other players on the pitch today. Despite East and Southeast Asia being home to one of the sport\u2019s largest fanbases in the world \u2013 hundreds of millions<\/a> of fans follow the Premier League in Southeast Asia \u2013 football is rarely associated with ESEA+ communities in the west, with its diaspora often stereotyped towards more academic pursuits. \u201cI\u2019ve played competitive football all my life, and I was the only Asian kid ever to be playing on a team,\u201d he says. \u201cRise has been refreshing \u2013 it\u2019s less competitive, and it\u2019s more welcoming and inviting. It\u2019s more of a community [than competitive football.\u201d<\/p>\n Away from the pitch, Jun is a creative director, and he also works with Darren on their agency 1314FAMILYSTYLE. It was born out of the networks that Rise United had fostered and built \u2013 playing today are photographers, writers, producers and more \u2013 as well as its intersections with London\u2019s wider ESEA+ creative scene. Alternative music record label and event series Eastern Margins\u2019s own creative director, Lorenzo, also works at 1314FAMILYSTYLE.<\/p>\n \u201cWe look at ourselves as a creative midfielder,\u201d says Darren. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to look around to pass and support people around us so they can score goals. We work with Herac Sport, Eastern Margins, Bugeisha Club and more.\u201d<\/p>\n He\u2019s wearing an intricately designed black and white shirt, filled with a grid of the Hong Kong orchid tree taken from its flag, which was created for the annual Nations Cup, where its players gather in teams representing countries of their heritage. \u201cThis was designed by 888.msg<\/a> \u2013 he\u2019s also the art director for Margins United and Eastern Margins,\u201d he explains. \u201cIt was inspired by the devil team in Shaolin Soccer, [director] Steven Chow changed the cinematic culture of Hong Kong \u2013 I\u2019m inspired by him a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n