The Auckland bedding company backing India's historic hockey return to New Zealand
India's men's hockey team will face the New Zealand Black Sticks in a three-match series in Auckland.
A Kiwi-Indian businessman who joined Luxon's historic India delegation is now backing a sporting milestone.
An Auckland bedding manufacturer has become the naming sponsor of India's historic return to New Zealand, backing a three-match series against the Black Sticks later this month.
Slumberzone, founded by Kiwi-Indian businessman Ranjay Sikka, is sponsoring the centenary series at Auckland's Lloyd Elsmore Park on November 19, 21 and 22, commemorating 100 years since an Indian Army hockey team toured New Zealand in 1926.
For Sikka, who travelled to India as part of prime minister Christopher Luxon's historic business delegation last year, the sponsorship is another way of celebrating the relationship between the two countries. This time through sport rather than trade.
But neither Sikka nor his company has any particular history with hockey. "We don't have any backstory, to be very honest," he told Awaaz when asked about Slumberzone's connection with the sport.
"It's just that they're bringing everyone together. There's such a good history, because in 1926 the first Indian team came to New Zealand. So it's about celebrating that history and being part of history now."
'A Singh playing for New Zealand against India': All Whites Sarpreet on being Kiwi-Indian He helped New Zealand beat India in Mumbai, yet Indian fans cheered his every touch.
National's Mahesh Muralidhar on course to reclaim Tamaki from ACT, new poll shows A new poll puts National's Indian-origin candidate 18 points ahead of ACT, with former Brooke van Velden voters shifting towards him.
New Zealand strips 17 occupations of Green List privileges in immigration shake-up Changes from March 2027 will alter residence pathways for some migrants while giving special education teachers faster access to residency.
The 1926 Indian Army tour marked the beginning of a sporting relationship that extended far beyond the hockey field. Featuring a young Dhyan Chand, the tour helped early Indian migrants connect with wider New Zealand society through sport.
A century later, the three-match series will celebrate that shared history, with special military hockey fixtures paying tribute to the original Indian Army team.
Tickets are available through Hockey New Zealand's official ticketing platform, while the international matches will also be broadcast live on TVNZ+.
The hockey series is part of Auckland's 100 Years of Unity Through Sport celebrations, a programme spanning more than a month of sporting and cultural events.
The celebrations include India taking on New Zealand in cricket, football, hockey, bowls and esports, alongside Diwali festivities, Indian sports-film screenings and landmarks across the city lighting up to mark the occasion.
Sikka believes hockey deserves greater recognition, particularly among Indian communities, where cricket tends to dominate sporting attention. "Does it get the recognition? Does it deserve the recognition? Yes, it does," he said.
"Everyone has a small role to play, and that's exactly what we want to do. We want to create a lot more awareness here."
Slumberzone has been expanding its commercial footprint in India. During Luxon's visit last year, the Auckland company announced plans to invest about NZ$25 million in a mattress manufacturing facility in Hyderabad, expected to employ up to 250 people and serve both the Indian domestic and export markets.
Beyond the hockey field
Slumberzone's involvement extends beyond securing naming rights to the tournament. The company is also helping organise a kabaddi exhibition match on November 21, bringing another traditional Indian sport into the centenary celebrations.
Sikka said organisers had approached Slumberzone to help structure the exhibition, with the longer-term aim of raising awareness of kabaddi in New Zealand.
"For the kabaddi exhibition, they asked us to take a little bit of a lead and structure it for them, so they can take that on as an exhibition match."
Details of the participating teams and the format are still being finalised, with preparations taking shape just weeks before the event.
Bringing hockey back into focus
Sikka acknowledged that cricket had dominated the sporting conversation in Auckland in recent weeks, making it harder for hockey to attract the same attention.
"Now cricket has settled down a little," he said. "Now we can push hockey."
The Slumberzone Indian Centenary Hockey Series will take place at Lloyd Elsmore Park in Pakuranga, with the opening match on Thursday, November 19, at 6.30pm.
The second test will be played on Saturday, November 21, at 4pm, followed by the final match on Sunday, November 22, at 2pm. A kabaddi exhibition is also planned for November 21.
