CBC hockey broadcasters honoured for Punjabi broadcasts

Three CBC sports broadcasters were honoured in Calgary today for bringing the countrys national pastime to Punjabi Canadian audiences.

Hockey Night in Canada in Punjabicompleted its fourth seasonearlier this month.

Calgary-based Harnarayan Singh is the play-by-play commentator and says its a way of bridging the gap between cultures in Canada,

"It really speaks to multiculturalism when you have Canadas game broadcast in Punjabi."

Singh and analysts Inderpreet S. Cump and Bhola S. Chauhan were honoured Saturday at a celebration organized by members of the South Asian community in Calgary.

Singh says the show's growing popularity is evidence the sport of hockey is being embraced by the Punjabi-speaking community across Canada.

"Sports is very universal. It doesn't matter where you're from, it doesn't matter the language. If everyone's cheering for Team Canada at the Olympics, it doesn't matter who you are, everybody's in it together," says Singh.

"And this way people are learning the sport and they're taking part in Canadian culture."