By Surbhi Bhatia
Hockey fans can meet the three famous hosts of CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada in Langley on January 26 at Preston GM. Chevrolet Canada is celebrating the seventh season of CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi with an afternoon of all things hockey at Preston Chevrolet.
You can join Chevrolet Canada in a meet and greet with the Punjabi Hockey Night in Canada announcers Harnarayan Singh, Bhola Chauhan and Inderpreet Cumo, participate in hockey filled activities and compete for great prizes.
The hosts will be available to meet fans from 1 – 4 pm.
Harnarayan Singh
Singh became the first Canadian broadcaster to provide live analysis in Punjabi on Hockey Night In Canada when he covered each game of the Stanley Cup final in 2008.
In addition to his duties with Hockey Night In Canada, Singh is a reporter with CBC Calgary, a mortgage agent and an accomplished musician, playing the Tabla and Harmonium and performing in front of large audiences on numerous occasions across Canada, the United States and India.
He has accompanied some of the world’s most famous Sikh musicians as a vocalist and percussionist.
The 28-year-old journalist offers an entirely new outlook on the nation’s national winter sport with CBC’s “Hockey Night in Canada,” providing play-by-play in the Punjabi language.
It is part of the television broadcaster’s larger push to attract more viewers from all walks of life as Canada continues to become more multicultural.
CBC cites statistics that say Punjabi is the fourth most popular language in Canada. The national, public broadcaster recruited Singh and two other Sikhs to call two NHL games every Saturday night.
The Punjabi broadcast took hold in the community after a brief experiment a couple of seasons ago that also included Mandarin Chinese. It’s uniquely Canadian when you see two finely turbaned broadcasters peppering their Punjabi commentary with English words like “power play.”
It recently caught the attention of The New York Times, which published an in-depth feature on Singh. Singh told The Times that hockey provided a bridge for him as a boy to his classmates while he was a student in Calgary, Alberta. “I wore hockey shirts,” Singh said in the article, “because then I didn’t have to answer, ‘What is that thing on your head?’”
Bhola Singh Chauhan
Chauhan brings vast broadcast experience to the CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi broadcasts in his second season as an analyst. Chauhan is also co-hosting Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi’s first ever weekly podcast.
In addition to his role with CBC, Chauhan hosts various Punjabi radio shows and writes articles for numerous Punjabi newspapers worldwide. He also performs play-by-play and analysis of Canadian Kabaddi tournament matches, a popular Punjabi sport played around the world.
Chauhan completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in India, majoring in Punjabi Language and Communications, from Punjabi University, Patiala. In 2010, he co-authored a Punjabi poetry book about life in Canada titled Chinook. In addition to his media work, Chauhan loves to volunteer his time for community initiatives and local east-Indian musical performances.
Inderpreet Cumo
Cumo got his start with CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada when he was selected, along with fellow Punjabi analyst Bhola Chauhan, following a rigorous interview process. Cumo counts calling the 2012 Stanley Cup Final alongside Singh and Chauhan as the highlight of his broadcast career so far.
Cumo’s passion for sport began at an early age and his vast hockey knowledge has become an integral part of the broadcasts. Cumo has been active in sports for his entire life, predominantly playing hockey and basketball. He has experience coaching basketball and was a member of the coaching staff for Calgary’s St. Francis High School’s Division ‘A’ girls championship team
A graduate of the University of Calgary, Cumo holds bachelor degrees in Science and Education. Outside of his duties with CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada, the Fort St. John, B.C. native is a Grade 1 teacher in Calgary. He thanks his parents, wife and three daughters for their support that have helped him to be part of CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi broadcast team.
WHO: Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi Commentators Harnarayan Singh, Bhola Chauhan and Inderpreet Cumo
WHEN: January 26, 2014
TIME: 1:00 p.m. Doors open 4:00 p.m. Event ends
WHERE: Preston Chevrolet, 19990 Langley Bypass, Langley, BC
