The Edmonton Elks have partnered with My Radio 580 AM to the deliver the first-ever professional football radio broadcast in Punjabi when the team hosts the B.C. Lions on Saturday.
“We’re once again excited to be making history, this time with the first professional football game broadcast in Punjabi,” said team president and CEO Victor Cui in a statement. “July 29 will be another example of how we’re working as a club to make football a welcoming place for all fans, including through the comfort of hearing the game in their first language.”
“We couldn’t think of a better matchup for our Punjabi broadcast, as we hope the broadcast is also enjoyed by the large Punjabi community in B.C.”
Harpreet Pandher and Taqdeer Thindal will be on the air to call the game, both of whom have extensive experience broadcasting sports in Punjabi. Pandher has been a commentator on Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi since 2014, while Thindal has been part of the show’s broadcasting crew since 2015.
“I’m honoured and humbled to be a part of the first CFL broadcast in Punjabi. This will be a historic moment for Canada connecting a game that is a part of Canadian roots with a growing South Asian community that is so passionate about Canadian sports,” said Thindal. “For me personally, growing up in greater Vancouver and watching the CFL throughout my childhood, this is a special day that I will forever cherish.”
Canada has a Punjabi community of almost one million people, approximately 125,000 of whom reside in the province of Alberta.
The Elks made history last season when they partnered with Windspeaker Media to create the first Indigenous language broadcast in CFL history.
The Elks (0-7) will host the B.C. Lions (5-1) on Saturday, July 29 with kickoff slated for 7:00 p.m. EDT.
