Better performance today from Natalia Pallu-Neves & Jayin Panesar in their West Side Story Free Dance. Moved up a couple of places in the FD and one place Overall. But all of our Junior Dancers need to work on the basics, as the competition is so tough. But always good to see a South Asian heritage boy competing at this level. I attended the long defunct British Intermediate Championships at Lee Valley around 1985 and there was a South Asian brother/sister icedance partnership. But in the decades since, I can't remember any others till Jayin. BTW I'm using the term South Asian heritage, because in the UK we call the Indian/Pakistani/BanglaDeshi/SriLankan community Asian. But I know in the US they refer to skaters from Vietnam/Chinese/Japanese heritage as Asian.
Thank you for saying this. Because there have been a few times when I have had American members getting very angry with me over something I have said, and it is all due to certain terms getting used in different ways on either side of the Atlantic.
Like you, whenever I hear the term "Asian", I automatically think of somebody who is from the Indian Subcontinent, or whose heritage lies in those countries. So, I always get thoroughly confused when the Americans on here use the term "Asian" to mean Chinese, Japanese or Korean people.
But, now that you have put the "South Asian" term in my head, I will try to use it on here. Even though it is not a term we would ever use or hear in real life.
Anyway, getting back to your point, I've never thought of it, but you're right. There has been a lack of South Asian skaters coming through the British ranks. And that is surprising, given that we have large South Asian communities in the UK.
So, well done to Jayin for coming through. Hopefully if he goes on to do well in the years to come, then it will inspire other kids with similar backgrounds to take up the sport.
We badly need as many kids as possible to take up the sport.
The more, the merrier!
CaroLiza_fan