Picture of Canadian Field Hockey Team with Sikh Turbans
Everyone seems to be searching for it online. The Langar Hall got it first. So, for those of you that missed the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, here is a picture of the Punjabi Sikh field hockey players on the 
Canadian field hockey team with their pagris (turbans). Pictured from left to right: Assistant Coach Nick Sandhu, Bindi Kullar, Sukhwinder Gabbar Singh, Ravi Kahlon, and Ranjeev Deol.
For previous coverage of the Canadian Field Hockey Team on The Langar Hall see:
Canadian Field Hockey – individual biographies
Sikhs in the Olympics, Beijing 2008 – for a discussion of their turban-wearing decision
Recent Results:
The team lost their first game against the #1 ranked Australians. They will be playing Pakistan next on Day 5 (Wednesday) at 6am EST. Pakistan lost their first match to Great Britain.
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I hate to be the spoilsport, but I really need to ask. What is the meaning of our turban? Not one of these young gentlemen keep kesh.
What is the point of their pagris? To show pride in being Sikh? To identify culturally as Sikhs?
OK, I’ll check out the earlier discussion…
If absolutely nothing else, if we completely disregard any iota of sentiment behind their decision to wear the turbans, any speck of pride they may have in their Sikh heritage, the Sikh identity, even if we ignore their wearing of the turban as homage to the Sikhs in Canada who suffered because of their faith – still, their decision to wear turbans as representatives of Canada on the world’s largest stage, highlights that turban-wearing Sikhs are part and parcel of Canadiana. That alone, I think, is pretty damn sweet.
I agree with P.Singh.
I watched the Opening Ceremony with my family, and I saw a snippet of the group. It was a very proud moment, although I wish NBC could have covered it a little more.
I agree with p.singh .Seeing pagri dhari sikhs on a world event is itself a proud moment. We should not belittle their effort only for not having Kesh. I agree kesh is part and parcel of our religion but this event shows these young man have a desire to look like sikh sardar God willing one day they will support
kakars also.
why cant we leave some decesions to to sikhs themselvess let them be free todecide whaat they want to be kesh,pagfi
e acknowledge the brave decision by Canada’s Sikh Olympians to hold their Turbaned heads high during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. It was a mammoth stage and the whole world watching watching.
The absence of the Indian hockey team had reduced the number of Sikh Olympians at Beijing (though it must be added that over the years the Indian Hockey Federation has made a conscious attempt to reduce the number of Sikh players anyway), but that has probably been compensated by the Sikh Canadians who donned their turbans, even if only for the Olympic march past.
With the Canadian sportspersons wearing the turban, the recognition to the turban and the ethnic identity of the Sikh people is complete. Their ethnicity is now in the recognition mode. World nations and peoples are beginning to see it as symbol of Sikh identity than Indian or Arab.
Kudos to Canadian Sikh Olympians and Team Canada for sporting Canadian red turbans.
I respect the courage of canadian sikhs to be presented themself with the turban in opening ceremony It gives us alots of happiness ,when we see a sikh doing some thing at world level ,Hope this corougious step will make them a keshdhari sikh and in future we will see then playing in dastar anyway I congratulate them and their parents for having respect for sikh turban in their hearts.
Sports is beyond religion, so Dont bring religion into this having said that its great gesture by Canadian sports men to display their identity Infact this time one could see more turbans in canadian contigent than Indian contigent,even though Half of indian coaches are sikhs & so is sport minister, all were missing during opening cermony so was Indian hocket team,India, first individual gold for India in 112 years has come from Sikh Abinav bindra we should all be proud of it,many sportsmen were in their traditional costumes displaying their culture so nothing wrong if sikh players showcased turban during cermony
Just an update on Canada’s Field Hockey team’s results so far:
Australia (#1 in the world) – Canada lost 6-1
Pakistan – Canada lost 3-1
Netherlands – Canada lost 4-2
Britain – Canada draws 1-1
Being in the same age group as the players and also being born and raised in North America, I commend this group for wearing our turban. I do not wear a turban, but my Dad does and one day I hope I will have the honour of being a Sardar. Back in the day, the Mughals denounced wearing turbans for any non-Sikh, but Guru Gobind Singh Ji challenged that and put a turban on every Sikh of his. Kudos to these players, who have shown the world that Guru Gobind Singh’s Sardars are present everywhere, you have made us all very proud!!!
[quote comment="4187"]Being in the same age group as the players and also being born and raised in North America, I commend this group for wearing our turban. I do not wear a turban, but my Dad does and one day I hope I will have the honour of being a Sardar. Back in the day, the Mughals denounced wearing turbans for any non-Muslim, but Guru Gobind Singh Ji challenged that and put a turban on every Sikh of his. Kudos to these players, who have shown the world that Guru Gobind Singh’s Sardars are present everywhere, you have made us all very proud!!![/quote]