BY TERRY MADDAFORD
In New Delhi
North Harbour striker Priyesh Bhana is loving every minute of this World Cup. No surprise in that, afterall he is playing for the second time in the land of his forefathers and in a country where hockey battles with cricket as the country’s most popular sport.
Given his Indian roots, Bhana, 25, has been singled out for added attention by the supporters and local media.. He relishes that and also being able to share the occasion with his family.
And, he can count on more of that support when he runs out in the early hours of tomorrow morning for the Black Sticks’ last pool match against defending champions Germany knowing they must win to have any chance of progressing after losing to Argentina, the lowest-ranked team here, 1-0 early yesterday morning.
Bhana’s grandparents were born in India living a couple of hours south of Mumbai before they immigrated to New Zealand almost a century ago.
“My dad was born in New Zealand and my mum in Zambia. They got married in England and I was born in Hawera,” said Bhana who also speaks Gujarti as that was his grandmother’s native tongue. “Now my brother lives in Melbourne but they are all here now. That is special.”
Just as special as making his Black Sticks debut against India at last year’s Punjab Gold Cup in Chandigarh where New Zealand lost 2-0 in that opening game but went on to beat Germany 3-2 in their last game of the tournament.
Bhana, “Pee Wee” to his hockey mates might not possess the same scoring skills as some of those, like Simon Child and Phil Burrows, he has played alongside but makes up for that with his pace and non-stop running.
Playing on hockey’s biggest stage is a world apart from his first days as a four-year-old when, stick in hand, he played in the backyard of the family’s Hawera home.
“Dad played soccer for Taranaki but he never pushed me to follow him,” said Bhana who went on to captain the Hawera High School first X1 for three years leading them to three successive Taranaki secondary school titles.
Like other players, including another Taranaki product and Black Sticks team-mate Ben Collier, Bhana was coerced in to moving north by then East Coast Bays player-coach, and now Black Sticks assistant coach, Darren Smith to play in the North Harbour competition.
“I was studying at Massey University in Palmerston North so thought why not,” said Bhana who has completed his Bachelor of Science and is now, with a Prime Minister’s Scholarship, continuing his studies.
He played professionally in Belgium in 2008-09 and has had offers to return.
“I will probably go back after the Commonwealth Games but will eventually finish up back in New Zealand.
“It is great to play hockey here in a hockey-mad country,” said Bhana who added that he and team-mate Arun Panchia had been singled out for a really warm welcome by appreciative supporters. “You can’t help but love it.”
ENDS
