TURN it up!

“We are not machines, we feel them (negative emotions), we reflect on them, we just can’t ignore them… so it’s okay to experience and embrace those emotions but at the end of the day or the next day, find your joy and happiness, because for your balance and mental health that is very important,” - Gurdeep Pandher 

Gurdeep Pandher is a Yukon-based Bhangra artist and educator who creates performances that bring people together from all backgrounds while also promoting inclusivity. Gurdeep is best known for bringing joy, hope and positivity during the pandemic through his online dance classes, videos and uplifting messages. Gurdeep was also named “This Week’s Greatest Canadian” by Global News Radio! And is also one of 5 panellists for the 2023 CBC Canada Reads show. The Universal Radio Network’s very own Sapreet Buttar had the chance to sit down and talk to Gurdeep about his routine in the Yukon, conversations around mental health, maintaining a positive mindset, mental health conversations in South Asian households, Bhangra folk dance, and much more in this episode. 

At the beginning of their discussion, Gurdeep describes what his morning routine is like living in the Yukon (0:30), his message of “feel free to be sad, but don’t stay sad forever”(4:26), what it took for him to find his path to find joy and happiness (6:52), how we can better put into practice steering our mindset to be more positive (10:40), whether there are enough conversations surrounding mental health currently (14:16), how to break the barriers in South Asian households to talk about mental health more openly (15:45), and how special Bhangra is to him (23:34). Next Gurdeep gives some additional context on Bhangra and recognition he has gotten for it in Canada (26:10), who his dream Bhangra collaboration would be with (31:42), and finally, what joy and resiliency means to him (33:40). 

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“We have a lot of young girls that understand the sport and want to take it further… a lot of high school and junior high kids that want to play and want to wear that jersey, so we want to prep it for them and make sure that they have the opportunity to perform for Edmonton, Alberta, and possibly in the future for the country of Canada,” - Savneet 

TURN Sports host Navin Ramharak is joined by members of Edmonton Women’s Cricket Savneet Kandola, Krima Kapadia, and Amarpal Kaur to discuss the women’s cricket scene in Edmonton, how the next generation is getting involved in the sport and its growth, leagues that are happening in the city, representing team Canada, qualifying for the World Cup and much more in this episode. 

At the beginning of their discussion, Savneet and Krima give a quick introduction and their journey in the sport of Cricket so far (1:07), an update on Women’s Cricket in Edmonton (3:42), how we can get the next generation more involved in the sport (6:20), what leagues are going on in the city (7:25), when provincials take place (9:12) and where listeners can go and reach out to support Women’s Cricket (10:18). Next Amarpal joins the program and gives a quick introduction of herself (11:36), how it feels to represent Team Canada (12:38), who funds the tournament’s that the teams participate in (14:07), the process of qualifying to the World Cup (15:03), whether they will be adding additional players in the coming years (16:56), what the Ranji Cricket Championship is (19:47), who their inspirations were growing up in sports (20:38), and finally, what sport of Cricket is lacking on the women’s side in the city (23:41). 

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“We are gathering support from the community as well… the community basketball scene involving EYBA, Good Hoops…  we’re giving them a reason to push and improve the basketball scene in the city as a whole… hopefully everyone can see the benefit of the league as this is the time to take the risk,” - Mubarak Suleiman

Mubarak Suleiman is the visionary co-founder and Director of Battle League Pro-Am. Born in Nigeria and now making waves in Canada since 2016, Mubarak’s journey is nothing short of inspiring. A graduate of the Respiratory Therapy program at NAIT, his true passion lies in entrepreneurship. In just three years, Mubarak’s innovative and brand-building expertise has attracted high-level talent from the NBA, the Euroleague, and celebrity athletes to Battle League Pro-Am, and his efforts have garnered significant partnerships with Fortune 500 companies like Nike Inc. Mubarak joins TURN Sports host Navin Ramharak to discuss what the Battle League Pro-Am is, the All-Star Weekend event that will be happening, the stars and celebrity attending the event, NBA playoff thoughts, and much more in this episode. 

At the beginning of their discussion, Navin and Mubarak chat about what’s going on in his life currently (1:57), a breakdown of what Battle League Pro-Am is (2:47), how much of a focus goes into content creation in regards to Battle League Pro-Am (4:30), what’s on the horizon for Battle League Pro-Am this year (7:24), the significance of the All-Star Weekend event to the city of Edmonton (9:47), and partners involved in the event (12:10). Next Mubarak shares which team he currently supports in the NBA (14:20), what his ideal event in Edmonton would look like (15:59), who his ideal headliners would be at the event (17:54), how the structure of the games within Battle League Pro-Am works (23:03), and what Navin’s ideal event is (25:04). Later on in their discussion Nav, Russell and Mubarak discuss the new NBA TV deals and the increase in player contracts in the NBA (28:32), the NBA on TNT crew possibly going independent (30:22), Caitlin Clark and her start to her WNBA career (33:05), and finally, thoughts on Bronny James and the pre-draft hype (35:33). 

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“It’s great to see how much the CEBL (Canadian Elite Basketball League) is growing… and considering the WNBA game in Edmonton sold out to 16,000… the CEBL in Calgary at the Saddledome to 12,000… basketball is big in Alberta,” - Lawrence Dushenski 

Lawrence Dushenski is a distinguished lawyer and dedicated basketball coach based in Edmonton. Lawrence currently coaches and brings his expertise to Jasper Place High School, and the Goodhoops basketball club, shaping the future of young athletes. With a rich background including a tenure at TSN in Toronto, Lawrence is not only a seasoned professional but also an avid sports fan. Lawrence joins TURN Sports Navin Ramharak to discuss all things basketball, including the WNBA and its growth, thoughts on the NBA playoffs, thoughts on the upcoming Paris Olympics, the Canadian Elite Basketball League and much more in this episode. 

At the beginning of their discussion, Lawrence and Navin talk about his journey in sports so far  (1:24) his Caitlin Clark jersey and his thoughts on the WNBA and the game that was held in Edmonton (3:42), the number 1 sporting event he has attended so far (5:47), what’s on his bucket list for sporting events (6:34), thoughts on USA basketball at the Paris Olympics (7:55), who is Lawrence’s greatest of all time in sports (9:49), and whether the Pacer’s should have fouled up 3 in the final minutes of Game 1 in the Eastern Conference Finals (11:32). Lawrence and Navin then share their opinions on who they think is better between Luka Doncic and Anthony Edwards (13:42), who they would rather start a franchise with (14:47), Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James (15:58), Lawrence’s pick for the NBA Western Conference Finals (19:00), their picks for who should start for Team USA Basketball (20:08), any potential prospects in the NCAA who should get an opportunity with Team USA (23:55), and their thoughts on the All-NBA selections (25:32). Next Lawrence and Navin take a dive into the CEBL (27:56), the Ringer’s top 25 NBA players under 25 (31:08), the Atlanta Hawks new assistant General Manager being from Edmonton (35:51), and their thoughts on the LaMelo Ball situation (38:04).

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“We want to have representation, women and girls representation in everything that we do… we want to be able to see women officials, scorekeepers, photographers, content creators, wherever we can… but just having that representation is very important and it creates our own little community and our own culture,” - Ashley Prasad 

Ashley Prasad is the founder of 4 Courters Sports, which began as a grassroots basketball initiative in Edmonton and has since grown into a dynamic platform dedicated to uniting and empowering sports enthusiasts at all levels. Ashley’s passion for sports shines through in everything that she does, from her work in the community to her leadership in amplifying women in sports, Ashley is also the driving force behind the HxR League, a competitive basketball league in Edmonton that not only showcases athletic talent, but also promotes inclusion, community, and representation. Ashley joins TURN Sports host Navin Ramharak to discuss her journey in sports, how 4 Courters Sports was established, her partnership with Sport Edmonton, the HxR League, the WNBA, and much more in this episode. 

At the start of their discussion, Navin and Ashley talk about her journey in sports (1:10), what made her realize that she wanted to do something different career-wise (2:42), how 4 Courters Sports was established  (4:43) her partnership with Sport Edmonton (7:42), the project around the newly built WNBA court in the city (9:42), her experience at the WNBA game in Edmonton (11:36), and her thoughts on the WNBA announcing a brand new franchise in Toronto (13:40). Next Navin and Ashley talk about the potential for a WNBA team in Edmonton (14:49), the new Women’s Pro-Am basketball league she has created (16:20), the official start date of the new basketball league (19:30), which potential headliners fans can look out for participating in the new Pro-Am league (22:30), other projects in the works (23:41), and finally a piece advice Ashley has for the listeners (27:35). 

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“Streaming is where everyone is watching now… and I think Amazon (Prime) showed the success you could have when you use live sports and turn it into money whether that be advertising or whether that would be for yourself as a company,” - Roshan Kalra 

Roshan Kalra is a Partner at SB LLP and leads their Corporate group, and is also the Chair of the Canadian Bar Association’s Commercial Property & Leasing Section and has served on various boards, including the Edmonton Inner City Children’s Program. Outside of work, however, Roshan is an avid traveller and sports enthusiast, enjoying sports such as squash, ball hockey, and the challenges of golf. Roshan joins Navin to chat all things sports, including the ongoing NHL and NBA playoffs, a background into his football fandom, the upcoming Paris Olympics, NFL, Premier League, and Cricket talk, and so much more in this episode. 

At the beginning of their discussion, Navin puts Roshan on the spot for TURN it up trivia (2:02), where his love of sports originated from (3:20), the best Major League Baseball stadium he’s attended (4:05), what’s on his bucket list for major sporting events (4:05), rapid-fire questions including who his all-time favourite athlete is and what sport he would play professionally (5:43), how his sports life has been affected with family outside of Canada (8:05), his thoughts on the Oilers’ playoff run so far (8:48), the Denver Nuggets coming back from 2-0 deficit (11:14), what’s next for LeBron James (12:38), and Zach Hyman receiving a jersey from basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal (15:22). Next Roshan and Navin dive into some NFL talk including the new streaming deals (16:54), Tom Brady becoming the new top analyst at FOX (20:03), most anticipated matchups in the upcoming NFL season (23:10), the strange occurrence that allowed the New York Knicks to band together in game 5 (29:37), the decision to draft Micheal Penix Jr. by the Falcons (30:47), updates surrounding Golf (33:08), the Nets deciding to retire Vince Carter’s jersey number (37:20), and his thoughts on the the Lakers’ head coaching search (39:42). In the later half of the show, Roshan and Navin talk about the upcoming and NBA draft class (44:01), rumors surround the Cleveland Cavaliers, particularly in regards to Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell (51:50), which countries in basketball they think will medal in the upcoming Olympics (55:26), some Cricket talk (58:34), Premier League updates (1:03:18), Nikola Jokic MVP talk (1:05:16), and finally Roshan and Navin give their thoughts on the ongoing MLB season so far (1:10:55). 

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“On the ice, did go through quite a bit… I didn’t have a mentor, and had no one to talk to other than my dad… so it was difficult navigating Triple-A and all that kind of stuff. I did face racism, systemic racism… but instead of just making a big deal later on in life, (I would ask) how do we find solutions to these problems? So at the age of 25 Apna Hockey was born… and the word apna meant so much to me, I wanted to connect the community, and that’s how it all started.” - Lali Toor 

This episode of TURN Sports features two remarkable guests from Apna Hockey, Tanroop Mahal and Lali Toor. Tanroop Mahal, a Human Resources student from the JR Shaw School of Business, is the social media lead for Apna Hockey and has been instrumental in connecting South Asian fans across Canada to make hockey more inclusive. Lali Toor is the co-founder of Apna Hockey, a non-profit organization that aims to grow the game and develop talent within Canada’s South Asian community. His personal experiences in minor hockey and his passion for creating a sense of belonging have fueled the success of Apna Hockey, and together with co-founder Dampy Brar, Lali is not only impacting the hockey community in Canada but also planting the seeds for the sport’s growth in India. Lali and Tanroop join Navin to discuss what Apna Hockey is, their goals and aspirations, social media and content creation, their thoughts on the NHL playoffs, steps the league can take in order to grow the game, and much more in this episode. 

At the beginning of their discussion, Lali gives a breakdown of what Apna Hockey is and what it is about (2:06), what inspired him to create the organization (3:06), how Tanroop got involved with Apna Hockey (4:58), how the organization has evolved and what has changed since its conception (6:38), what the Willie O’Ree Award is (9:36), and what changes Tanroop has seen on the Social Media and Content Creation side (10:44). Then Lali and Navin talk about the recent South Asian events and Heritage Nights (13:59), the average cost for someone looking to get into playing hockey (18:06), plans and events Apna Hockey has upcoming in the future (20:00), upcoming content on the social media side (23:06), ball hockey experiences (25:29), rapid-fire questions for Lali and Tanroop (27:25), their thoughts on the NHL playoffs so far (30:40), and predictions on the remaining series (34:01). Next Navin, Lali, and Tanroop talk about the possibility of partnering with different leagues in regard to the sport of Hockey and the possibility of creating something similar to a South Asian Olympics (37:39), what the possible business steps the NHL can take in order to grow the game (40:53), whether a series similar to F1’s “Drive to Survive” would find the same success in the NHL (45:31), Lali’s idea to grow the game (47:10), other ideas in order to spike viewership in the NHL (49:08), the possibility of a 3 on 3 hockey league (51:17), and advice that both Tanroop and Lali have for the listeners (53:06).  

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“There are a lot of common bonds in society, and sometimes we focus on the things that separate us and divide us… but there are a lot of commonalities, and I wanted to use the clothing brand as a creative outlet for me because as much I love broadcasting I want to be more than a broadcaster,” - Randip Janda

Randip Janda is a true trailblazer in hockey broadcasting, as he was the NHL’s first South Asian colour commentator. Randip is also the creative force behind his clothing brand, Dudh Soda, which blends his passion for hockey and the celebration of Punjabi culture. With his roles as host of Hockey Night in Punjabi and the Canucks analyst and broadcaster for Sportsnet 650, Randip has been a tremendous figure and role model in not only the hockey space but in the South Asian space as well. Randip joins TURN Sports host Navin Ramharak to talk about his journey to becoming a broadcaster in sports, his clothing brand Dudh Soda, memorable rivalries in sports, his favourite sporting events and much more in this episode. 

At the beginning of their discussion, Navin and Randip talk about his path and journey in becoming a broadcaster for the Canucks and in the sports world  (1:16), his clothing brand Dudh Soda (3:09), cultural similarities with the drink (4:53), his thoughts on the NHL season and the ongoing playoffs (6:15) Randip most memorable rivalries in sports (9:12), his favourite player growing up (11:03), the greatest sporting event he has witnessed in person (12:40), and what is the ultimate sporting event he would like to attend (14:21). Next Randip and Navin touch on the F1 scene, including who is currently his favourite driver and team (15:43), when his football/soccer fandom began (17:38), what sport Randip would like to discuss more but doesn’t necessarily get the opportunity to (20:13), restaurant spots in Edmonton (21:58), favourite NBA team (23:26), and finally a piece of advice to listeners looking to follow in his footsteps (24:15).

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On this episode of TURN Sports, Navin and Russell continue to discuss the ongoing NBA playoffs, including game 3 between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Denver Nuggets, and what has to change for the Nuggets to come back in the series. Navin and Russell also briefly discuss the Pacers and Knicks on the Eastern Conference side, and whether they think this series will go the distance. Navin also talks about the WNBA finally granting a team to Toronto, the possible branding surrounding the team and what he would like to see, as well as who would serve as a potential cornerstone piece when the franchise gets up and running. Navin also gives updates regarding Major League Baseball, Tennis, and Kylian Mbappe leaving PSG and more in this episode! 
 

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“Most of what has happened in life has started and been through Hockey… meeting great people, making friends for life and creating contacts that got me connected to Henry Singer… once I was in the Henry Singer ecosystem and leaning on the values that I grew up with, my dad always taught us the importance of serving the community, I really loved that and so between that and working for a company that really believed in supporting the community that’s where we were supported and encouraged to branch out and do our thing,” - Sonny Sekhon

Born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Sonny Sekhon describes himself as the city’s biggest fan. He has spent his entire career working to elevate the community and have more people share his vision and what Edmonton should and could be. Sonny and played and coached ice and ball hockey for nearly 30 years, and for the last decade, he has spent significant time hosting, coaching and building ball hockey teams and hosting tournaments within the South Asian community. Sonny was named to Edify Magazine's Top 40 under 40 for all his achievements in Edmonton, and also has a passion for fundraising, and has launched campaigns to raise money for the Kids with Cancer Society, SickKids Foundation, FreePlay for Kids and much more. Navin is joined by Sonny to discuss his career and journey in hockey, the Oilers playoff run, how the NHL can better grow and market its sport, the F1 scene and much more in this episode. 

At the beginning of their discussion, Navin and Sonny talk about his journey and career so far (2:11), what he’s seen from the Oilers so far in the playoffs (5:03), why the sport of hockey is falling behind the other major sports (8:14), the inability for the NHL to showcase its major stars  (13:19), and whether ball hockey can become a proper feeder for kids and athletes with professional aspirations (17:30). Then Sonny and Navin discuss who they think from the NHL would best fit to serve as a featured athlete and/or team to follow in a Netflix series (19:50), how the ball hockey scene is today compared to 5 years ago (22:24), if there is a professional ball hockey league in Canada (23:54), F1 updates and how Sonny felt watching Lando Norris' win his first race (24:20), and finally his favourite team in the F1 scene (26:28). 

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