Is Sam Kerr of Indian descent? Exploring Chelsea star's roots and her dream to become a 'role model' for young Indian girls
Chelsea star and Australia's captain Sam Kerr interestingly is reported to be of Indian descent. The forward has previously expressed her intentions to connect with the country her parents migrated from.
As reported by the Times of India, Kerr's father, Roger, was born in Kolkata to an Indian mother and English father. Speaking about her roots to BBC in 2020, she said (via Times of India):
"I've been speaking to my family about ways I could help be a role model for young Indian girls. My family's been in Australia 40 years now and I still don't know a whole lot about India. I'm really proud to be Indian and love my skin colour and love my Indian complexion, as my Nana says."
She added:
"I've listened to my nan and my dad's stories about moving to Australia, feeling like outsiders, having to work their way into society at a time when it wasn't very multicultural, and it's taught me a lot. It was hard for my dad to be accepted as a dark-skinned man in Australia. Listening to what they went through has really influenced who I am and taught me to accept people for who they are."
Kerr is one of the major stars in Australian women's football at the moment. From 124 caps for the country, she has scored 64 goals across all competitions.
"We gave it all" - Chelsea star Sam Kerr sends emotional message after Australia's semi-final defeat in FIFA Women's World Cup
Chelsea star and Australian captain Sam Kerr shared an emotional message on Instagram after her country's 3-1 defeat to England in the FIFA Women's World Cup. Kerr managed to score a stunner and equalise after Ella Toone gave the Lionesses the lead during the semi-final clash.
However, it wasn't to be for Australia, who conceded twice in the second half. Goals from Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo meant that the 29-year-old side were knocked out of the competition. After the game, she captioned a post on Instagram:
"We gave it all"
Kerr's side failed to win their third-place play-off, losing 2-0 to Sweden in that match. Their semi-final opponents, England, succumbed to a 1-0 defeat to Spain in the final of the tournament.