In conversation with Premier League presenter Seema Jaswal

Seema Jaswal comes across as really welcoming and sweet, someone who is keen to impart her knowledge regarding the sport. However, she admires tennis as much as she does football.

Speaking on how she chose football presentation as her career, she says, “I initially studied Sociology at the Royal Holloway University and I quite enjoyed studying the subject. However, growing up, tennis was the sport that interested me the most.

“My maternal grandfather was a professional player in Uganda and hence it was somewhat ingrained in my blood. At one point I aspired to become a professional tennis player too. However, once I completed graduation, I walked into an interview at Sky Sports.”

“I started as a Runner, a role that provided me an opportunity to understand the world of television from many different angles and allowed me to mix with different people from varying positions in the industry. Gradually, I worked my way up the ladder but the brilliant surroundings and colleagues around me surely made it easier.”

In the subcontinent though, Jaswal has risen into prominence due to ‘Kick Off’, the weekly show that she hosts before the initiation of every Premier League game week.

Asked about the preparation for this widely popular show, Jaswal says, “I personally keep myself updated with the managers' press conferences on Friday. If there are midweek matches, I try to see how those games evolved. Then we meet the producers and discuss the major talking points from the previous week.

“It is actually a very light-hearted show hosted by four football enthusiasts, that love to talk about the sport, covering the predominant football stories in the media. With ten matches to discuss every week we select the fixtures we feel that fans want to hear about most”.

“However, I listen to the radio for live updates throughout the week, read through the newspapers daily and check for further information and news on the club’s websites and social media pages before finalising the points of discussion. Our producer sets the structure of the show every week and we discuss what we want to talk about in each show during the week. In the mornings I must say though, the guys take up the most time for dressing up- I think it’s the hair that takes the longest!” (chuckles)

Despite having covered the Premier League extensively over the years, Jaswal has had some interesting stints in India too.

She was here for the Hero ISL Season 2 and even the FIFA U-17 World Cup last year but when asked about the difference in presentation and production of shows in both countries, Jaswal remarks, “Well, I worked with some really good professionals when I was in India. Some of the team members were the same with whom I work in London so there was a sort of familiarity too.

“However, I believe that the production of the shows depends more on the production companies and team creating the content rather than the countries they operate in. I’ve had the pleasure working with professional production teams all over the world and the output has always been to a high standard”.

The ISL starts today and as mentioned earlier, Jaswal has been a prominent part of this tournament in the past. Though the concept of a worldwide popular football league is quite new in India, Jaswal is of the opinion that the Indian public is well versed with the intricate details of football.

She says, “Funnily enough, I was talking to Nick Ames from The Guardian today about the football fandom in India. When I went there, I didn’t know what to expect from the audience. I was told that the Indians love their cricket and it may be a task to get the Indian public to enjoy football with the same passion”.

“However, once I indulged with the audience over there, I was amazed at their knowledge and passion for the game. Moreover, they were aware of the technicalities of the sport too and that is a brilliant sign for the improvement of the sport in that part of the world.

“The fans of different clubs were so enthusiastic. I remember hosting the ‘Love United’ event in Mumbai, a live screening of the Manchester United v Arsenal game. I got to engage with the fans and I soon realised how deep-rooted their knowledge of the game was.

“Though cricket is a great sport I do feel that there is a distinct audience that keenly follows football and it was amazing to see that. Even, the Premier League Live Event that we hosted in Bangalore, the fans were very passionate out there!”

Football leagues aside, Jaswal was one of the main presenters in the recently concluded FIFA World Cup too. Associated with ITV, her experience, in her words was ‘surreal’. However, there were surely some doubts regarding the location of the tournament. She says, “The overall World Cup experience was brilliant. I had never been to Russia before and we didn’t quite know what to expect to be honest, but, once the work started, it became hectic and fascinating at the same time. You know, Russia is such a huge country, it’s almost like India. You travel from one part to another and it feels like having traveled past different countries. Also, the Russian people embraced us very well.

“Everywhere we went, the fans were welcoming and accordingly we came across different sorts of people, fan groups etc. It was a bit different for me personally, as I was constantly on the road rather than presenting through a studio which I am used to.

“There was a lot of research and hard work involved, especially with new players emerging from different countries. England’s run to the semifinals was an added bonus, undoubtedly!”

Jaswal has been a part of the Premier League community for almost a decade now. When asked about what separates this league from the others, she credits the sheer unpredictability of the results as one of the factors. She says, “From what I see of La Liga and the Bundesliga they have their own unique qualities. But, the fact that any team, on their given day could defeat one of the top guns in the PL is really fascinating even from a fan’s perspective.

“Like, Leicester City winning the title a few years ago, it is simply magnificent. Especially from a fan’s perspective, they look forward to the Premier League because they know that there the results could be massively unpredictable.

“The three promoted teams from last year managed to stay in the competition and I see no reason why this couldn’t happen this time around either.

“I agree, once there was a massive difference between the qualities of the teams between the ‘Top Six’ and the rest of the clubs. But, I see that gap gradually bridging and hence it is wonderful to follow this league so closely. You never know what to expect!”

The Premier League consists of some amazing teams, but it is the players who make their clubs standout in the end. Everyone has differing opinions on their favorite players from the EPL. However, Jaswal is quite clear on who she regards as the three best footballers plying their trade in England.

She remarks, “Mo Salah for one was an absolute revelation last season. He came from a very different league and almost seamlessly slotted into the Liverpool side, eventually leading them so far in the season, he deserves to be right there at the top. His humble attitude makes him even more likeable and last season his performances on the field were the added X-factor for Liverpool.

“Secondly, people might have different opinions on Eden Hazard. Some may say that he needs to score more goals to be regarded as the best. But, anyone who saw how he silenced Anfield with that extraordinary goal against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup knows what a special man he is. I really feel for Chelsea fans as they might not be able to keep him beyond the season.

“Lastly, I couldn’t finish off without mentioning a Manchester City player now. For the way and consistency with which they played last season, Kevin de Bruyne deserves a special mention. You know, he is one of the players who I think could get into any team in the world and improve them massively.

“With the talent and potential that he has, it is almost surreal to see how much more he could achieve in his career with that.”

For her stupendous work in football presentation over the years, Seema Jaswal was awarded the Media Award in the Asian Football Awards in 2017.

On that she says, “It was my first award and the feeling was definitely brilliant. To work with so many talented professionals in my favored field of work, I feel blessed to be in this position. I get to talk about football with some really nice colleagues and hope to continue with this going ahead. This award was special, absolutely!”

She signed off then, but not without asking me about my own favorite club and player! When I said Manchester United and the fact that they have a difficult ‘away’ game against West Ham, her immediate reaction was, “I see excuses ready, huh!” (chuckles).