Harpreet Pandher helped make history on July 28, when he teamed with Taqdeer Thindal on the call for the first professional football game broadcast in Punjabi.
Punjabi-Canadians who tuned into My Radio 580 AM for the Week 8 CFL contest between the Edmonton Elks and BC Lions from Commonwealth Stadium heard Pandher describing the action in their language.
Congrats to @HarpPandher and @TaqdeerThindal on their historic broadcast in Punjabi tonight. pic.twitter.com/4V55fD2ooq
— Morley Scott (@Morley_Scott) July 30, 2023
Leading up to the game, Pandher and Thindal were flooded with requests from media, as the groundbreaking broadcast made headlines coast to coast and around the world. This week there has been time to reflect on being part of this momentous endeavor.
“For me it’s twofold,” says Pandher. “First and foremost, it’s special just being a part of the CFL, the league that I follow. It’s a Canadian league, I’m born and raised in this beautiful country, and it’s a beautiful game.
“The second part of it is, being of Punjabi descent; My folks are from Punjab, the northern part of India and Pakistan. I connected with past and present CFL players that are of Punjabi descent and they were excited about it as well.”
Pandher and Thindal have been part of the Hockey Night in Canada: Punjabi Edition crew for nearly a decade, helping grow hockey’s popularity in the Canadian Punjabi community. Pandher hopes that by broadcasting CFL games in Punjabi, the same effect can be had on football.
“I think this is a good start,” he says. “There are demographics of minority languages in Canada that need to be tapped into.
“With hockey, we saw a lot of viewership and then we saw a lot of families putting their kids into the game; They watched it on TV and they want to play it. So with the CFL being broadcast in multi-languages, I’m hoping that’s what will happen with kids’ interest in the CFL wanting to play the game as well.”
Pandher expressed how welcome he and his broadcast partner felt at Commonwealth Stadium, home of the CFL’s flagship franchise.
“I just think it’s a wonderful thing the Elks did,” he said. “I just thank them for the opportunity. We have memories for a lifetime and we hope to do something like this again in the near future.”
Be there when the Elks take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers during the Indigenous Celebration at Commonwealth Stadium on August 10 presented by MHCare Medical. Being part of the action has never been more affordable, with tickets starting at just $15. Click here to get your tickets now and be part of the tradition.
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