Rohan Bhuhi is set to become the first Sikh to play for Great Britain men for nearly 24 years after he was called up for next week’s FIH Pro League season opener in Argentina.
Bhuhi, 23, joined the GB men’s programme in September after representing England at U16, U18 and U21 level. The Southgate midfielder will debut for GB in Paul Revington’s 23-strong squad alongside Struan Walker, who has been racking up the goals for Surbiton this season.
Manpreet Kochar is the last Sikh to represent Great Britain, making his last appearance against Malaysia at Osaka’s Olympic qualifying tournament in March 2000.
Bhuhi, a computer science graduate from University of Leicester, has made strides in the England and GB junior system before entering the senior programme.
He won gold with GB men’s under-21 team at the Sultan Johor Cup in 2019 and was a recipient of the Youth Sport Trust’s Young Sports Person of the Year the following year.
Rohan is the older brother of Yuvraj, the GB and England U21 goalkeeper who won the Hockey Writers’ Club U18 award in 2022.
The last British Sikhs to play at an Olympic Games were Soma Singh, also a Southgate player, and Kalbir Takher at Atlanta 1996, while Kulbir Bhaura famously won gold with GB at Seoul 1988.
There is Asian heritage already in the GB squad, with goalkeeper James Mazarelo’s father hailing from Goa, India.
Meanwhile, GB men will see the return of Alan Forsyth, the Scot aiming to make the Paris Olympics after being picked as a travelling reserve for the Tokyo Games.
Compatriot Katie Robertson, who joined the women’s programme at Bisham Abbey in the autum, is set to make her debut for GB women when they line up against Argentina and the Netherlands in the first Pro League mini-tournament of the global league, which takes place between Dec 6-11.
Giselle Ansley, Anna Toman and Sarah Robertson also return to the GB side.
GB captains Hollie Pearne-Webb and David Ames will be sitting out the Argentina tournament after sustaining injuries in training.
You go around league games on Saturdays from lowest to the highest divisions, and you see lots of men of Indian origin playing. But why can’t these men get into the England Hockey or GB hockey programme?
Do they all move to Cricket or is it a “hockey is not a career for you son” attitude by their parents or is there a systemic problem?
I don’t see many women of Indian origin playing the sport unfortunately. 🙁
I dont know about england but here in canada, players have to pick up the most of the financial burden of tours with the national team. So unless you have a good job or business that allows you to be away along with allowing you to pay for those tours you dont stand a chance. So many young players give up playing for the country.
About time I say!
I hope to cheer on our man Alan Forsyth, at the Paris Olympics this summer. Viva Scotia!