Athletes of Indian Diaspora Rise on the Scene

While Indians have made their mark in many fields globally, sport is an arena where few Indian names have traditionally stood out. However, that seems to be changing now, as more and more Indian descent athletes are making a name for themselves in their adopted country.

Here are some athletes who are a force to be reckoned with in their country and who are well on their way to gaining global popularity:

Sarpreet Singh, Football

Source: goal.com

February born Sarpreet Singh became the first player of Indian descent to play in the Bundesliga when he stepped off the bench to debut with German champion club Bayern Munich.

The 22-year-old was on the bench for a few meetings before making his debut and was an integral part of the club’s reserve side. In the past season, Sarpreet scored seven goals in 20 appearances and was the team’s second-leading scorer.

Diviya GK, Cricket

Source: Connected to India

Diviya GK, former captain of the Singapore women’s cricket team, has had a unique sports journey. She started playing with men early in her career and became the first and only woman to play in the men’s league.

She continues to play for the Singapore Cricket Club men’s team. GK has so far played in Australia, South Africa, and the Netherlands. She is also involved in training at the Rex Martens Cricket Academy in Singapore and the Quick Club in the Netherlands.

Sim Bhullar, Basketball

Source: USA Today

Gursimran Sim Bhullar is a Canadian basketball player who plays for Yulon Luxgen Dinos of the Taiwanese Super Basketball League. The 24-year-old was born in Toronto and raised in Brampton. He is a two-time MVP of the WAC tournament, winning the award in 2013 and 2014, where he also helped the State of New Mexico reach the NCAA tournament.

He also became the sixth tallest player in NBA history, tied with Chuck Nevitt and Pavel Podkolzin for that record.