Indian-origin Manprit Sarkaria lifts Austrian Bundesliga with SK Sturm Graz

Manprit Sarkaria also earned a place in Austrian Bundesliga Team of the Season in 2021-22.

On Sunday, the 19th of May, SK Sturm Graz defeated Austrian Klagenfurt by 2-0, to win the Austrian Bundesliga, and earned a spot in the UEFA Champions League group stages for the first time since the 2000-01 season. 

The club also lifted the Austrian Cup for the second consecutive season, to complete a special European double. 

Amidst all this success, a special story emerges in Austria, wherein Manprit Sarkaria, who is from an Indian Punjabi descent, has once again broken the barriers holding back South Asian footballers from excelling. 

Having joined Austria Wien back in 2017-18, Manprit managed to make only 12 appearances in his first two seasons. The 2019-20 season was a breakthrough for the youngster, as he managed to get 24 appearances, and also scored four goals.  

The same fate followed Manprit the following year, and his numbers were on the upward trend. 

Ahead of the 2021-22 season, Manprit Sarkaria joined SK Sturm Graz, and made an instant impact. He scored 17 goals in 34 games across all domestic competitions, and earned a place in the Austrian Bundesliga Team of the Season. 

Despite not having matched the same level he reached in his first season, the past two seasons have been quite decent for the forward. In the 2022-23 campaign, Manprit Sarkaria scored a brace in the Austrian Cup final, to lead his team to victory. 

This season as well, Manprit’s contributions have been quite impactful in the success of the Blackies. 

His phenomenal success in one of Europe’s finest footballing countries has earned him a lot of plaudits, and has credited him with the deed of debunking the baseless myth of the incompetency of South Asian footballers to perform at top European stages.

Manprit’s heroics have been crucial in order to break preconceived notions and prejudices against South Asian footballers, and his story shall surely inspire the next generation to break the shackles of footballing backwardness, and rise to the top of the game.

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