The Indian diaspora in New Zealand and Punjab – a northern state in India, has found a special reason to celebrate as excitement builds up with the Indian-origin Sarpreet Singh set to rock the field when New Zealand team plays Iran tomorrow, 16 June, 2026.
When attacking midfielder Sarpreet Singh with strong family roots in Punjab, walks onto the pitch for New Zealand’s All Whites, he will carry a connection that resonates deeply with Indian fans. He will also be representing not only his Kiwi culture, but Indian heritage and culture as well on football’s biggest stage.
The 27-year-old Sarpreet Singh was born to Indian parents in Otahuhu (Auckland) on February 20, 1999 and raised here. His mother hails from Dhada Khurd in Mahilpur block in Hoshiarpur (Punjab) and his father is from Jalandhar. His family migrated to New Zealand nearly 35 years ago, but despite that his family’s ties remained strong with their home towns.
After he was selected in World Cup team and prepared to leave, his mother, Sarabjit Kaur, requested retired school principal Sukhchain Singh from the village to offer “ardas” (‘prayers’) and distribute “parshad” (‘holy offering’) at their local gurdwara in gratitude.
She is currently in the US to watch her son compete in FIFA World Cup, and credits his success to dedication and hard work. “He started playing football when he was just two-and-a-half-years old. He began with local clubs, and… football was always his passion, and he devoted himself completely to the game,” she told Chandigarh (India) paper, The Tribune over the phone.
Sarpreet family ran a grocery store in Otahuhu and he has often spoken about growing up in a close-knit Punjabi household alongside his elder brother and sister.
“I’m from a very typical Punjabi family with a lot of uncles and aunties and cousins,” he told Sportstar after New Zealand qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026 last year. “We always used to play backyard cricket, a bit of basketball” but football was his first love.
As a 10-years-old youngster, Sarpreet remembers being in the stands watching New Zealand beat Bahrain in Wellington to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and collecting autographs from his heroes.
Sarpreet began playing at a young age and developed at local clubs Papatoetoe and Onehunga Sports before joining the Wellington Phoenix FC academy in 2015.
He credits his mother for helping him pursue his football dream. “Since I was a young kid, she put in a lot of effort for me – taking me to training sessions, academies and individual coaching,” he said. “I’m very grateful for that.”
Despite growing up as a Kiwi, Sarpreet has often underlined the pride he takes in his heritage and calls himself an Indian at heart.
