'A Singh playing for New Zealand against India': All Whites Sarpreet on being Kiwi-Indian
All Whites star Sarpreet Singh traces his roots back to the northern Indian state of Punjab.
He helped New Zealand beat India in Mumbai, yet Indian fans cheered his every touch.
Sarpreet Singh was wearing New Zealand colours when he stepped onto the football pitch in Mumbai to face India in 2018. But something unusual happened whenever the young All Whites midfielder got the ball. The Indian crowd cheered for him.
Eight years later, the Auckland-born footballer of Punjabi heritage still remembers the reception, particularly because he was playing against the very team the spectators had come to support.
"I got a lot of love and a lot of support from the people in India even though we were playing them," Singh recalled in an interview with the Asia New Zealand Foundation's Asia Insight podcast.
"Every time I touched the ball, they were cheering for me." The match, played on June 7, 2018, at Mumbai Football Arena during the Intercontinental Cup, ended in a 2–1 victory for New Zealand.
Singh, then just 19, played a decisive role in the result, setting up both New Zealand goals after Indian captain Sunil Chhetri had put the hosts ahead.
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Andre de Jong scored the equaliser before Moses Dyer struck the winner late in the second half. For Singh, however, the occasion was memorable for reasons beyond the result.
"It was obviously quite strange at first," he said of playing against India. "I guess when you put it this way, it was a Singh playing for New Zealand against India, so it can be a bit weird."
But he did not see his Indian heritage and New Zealand nationality as competing identities. "We're raised in New Zealand and New Zealand is my home as well, so it's a really beautiful feeling to be able to represent both."
The support from Indian fans made the experience particularly special. "It just showed how much they love me and how much they support me and it was such a good experience, I really enjoyed it."
A Kiwi footballer with Punjabi roots
Born in Auckland to parents who migrated from Punjab, Singh has gone on to build an international football career that has included a spell with German giants Bayern Munich.
His achievements have also attracted attention in India, where footballers of Indian heritage playing at the highest international levels remain relatively uncommon.
Singh said he had become increasingly aware of the following he had developed among Indian fans.
He had seen the support on social media, received requests from journalists and interacted with prominent figures in India's entertainment industry who expressed pride in his achievements.
"These are people that I also look up to in their work and what they do as well," he said. Although he could not follow every message, he recognised the significance of the attention.
"I am aware of, I guess, the impact that this is having on the Indian community." For Singh, that recognition also carries a responsibility to inspire younger footballers.
"If I do well, I guess it has a huge impact on the kids that are watching or anyone that's watching to try and inspire them and show them that it's possible to play at the World Cup or play on the biggest stage in football."
Keeping the connection alive
Despite his growing international profile, Singh said his focus remained firmly on football rather than the attention surrounding his identity.
"At the end of the day I'm a football player and I'm trying to be the best football player that I can be."
His connection with India, however, remains important. His parents were born and raised in Punjab before moving to New Zealand, where Singh and his siblings were born.
While his parents and grandmother visit India every year, Singh said the demands of professional football had made it difficult for him to return regularly.
He hopes to change that. "For me, it's very important to keep this connection going strong, back to your roots," he said.
He wants to learn more about where his parents grew up and the lives they led before migrating to New Zealand.
And while representing New Zealand remains his professional priority, the footballer hopes he will again have the opportunity to experience the warmth he received from Indian spectators in Mumbai.
"Hopefully one day in the future we can repeat it or I can be there and play," he said.
