The sport of hockey is growing, and diversity has been a major part of its recent traction in other communities. The South Asian community is no different, as there have been multiple individuals throughout the NHL’s history who have broken barriers to be a part of this great sport.
The Calgary Flames now have two players who have South Asian roots in Kevin Bahl and Zayne Parekh. Their recognition has been gaining traction, especially in the South Asian community here in Calgary. It’s about time that more players of South Asian origin start entering the league, as it’s a community that would hugely benefit from more North American sports representation.
The emergence of more South Asian players in hockey is exciting
There has been quite a history of players of South Asian descent making their mark in the NHL. Individuals such as Robin Bawa, Manny Malhotra, and Jujhar Khaira all played in the big leagues and contributed to increasing interest in the sport amongst the community.
The Flames having two players with South Asian roots is huge. Both Bahl and Parekh are half Indian, which further places a positive spotlight on the Indian diaspora in Canada, which is quite massive.
The country of India doesn’t have much representation in North American sports leagues. With the NHL growing in popularity, showcasing players from a wide variety of backgrounds will only increase the sport’s potential. Let’s face it: hockey has that stereotype of being one of the sports with the least amount of diversity, but we’re seeing that narrative slowly changing.
I for one was quite shocked when I learned that Bahl was half Indian, as he’s been in the league for quite some time and I never heard anything about his heritage until he was traded to the Flames. It’s moments like these that make me even more connected to hockey, as these are players who come from similar backgrounds as me and who are playing for the team that I cheer for passionately.
Hockey is growing rapidly in the South Asian community
Watching and playing hockey is quite popular within the South Asian diaspora, especially here in Canada. I grew up playing hockey for a brief amount of time myself, and it’s still one of my favourite hobbies to this day. Watching hockey is also quite a common tradition in South Asian households, as many of the Western Canadian markets have a huge South Asian fanbase.
When the Flames drafted Parekh ninth overall, I was beyond ecstatic. Having a player from a South Asian background being drafted by your favourite team was a special moment, and I’m sure this was the feeling for many other people as well. Additionally, Parekh is projected to be a star in this league, as he’s been tearing up the OHL ever since being drafted. Having a player with that kind of pedigree is exciting enough, but given the fact that he’s also half-Indian, it makes his journey to the NHL even more exciting.
Seeing what players like Parekh and Bahl are already accomplishing, it gives hope to the next generation of South Asian hockey players to potentially use their skills and talents to go pro. In a sport like hockey which carries the reputation that it lacks diversity, seeing players that come from similar backgrounds making it when going pro is massive for fans and younger players who want to pursue big things.
At this rate, diversity within the NHL and hockey in general is going to increase as the sport reaches new audiences. However, having players who come from unique backgrounds and who represent their nationalities or communities only makes the NHL’s reach larger, expanding the game. For South Asians, having more representation in North American sports is nothing but a positive for the community, as it allows for role models to be established and for the younger generation to break barriers more easily.
