Surrey product signs with Winthrop, breaking a Canadian Sikh barrier in Division I basketball
A Surrey-born basketball player who developed his game at Fleetwood Park is headed to NCAA Division I competition, becoming the first Canadian turban-wearing Sikh to play at that level in men’s college basketball.
Eesher Singh Sarai, a 20-year-old forward listed at six-foot-nine, signed with Winthrop University last May and has just completed an eight-week training camp with the team in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Winthrop finished second in the Big South Conference last season and has made the NCAA tournament multiple times as a mid-major program.
“There’s a bit of a stigma with people in my religion, my ethnicity, that they aren’t as good at basketball. But there’s a lot of people out there who prove that wrong, and I want to be one of those people, kind of be a trailblazer and show that it’s possible,” Sarai said.
Local readers will know Sarai from his time at Fleetwood Park, where he first committed to basketball seriously in Grade 10. He graduated high school in 2023 and spent time with college teams in Florida, Washington State and Iowa before playing at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa. It was after the conclusion of his season at Ellsworth that Winthrop pursued him.
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| Grade 10 | Began focusing seriously on basketball at Fleetwood Park |
| 2023 | Graduated high school; played college ball in Florida, Washington State, Iowa |
| 2026 (May) | Signed with Winthrop University (NCAA Division I) |
What this means for Surrey and the Sikh community
Sarai’s arrival in Division I carries symbolic weight for the Surrey Sikh community and for Canadian players who wear turbans. While an American player, Dipanjot Singh, wore a turban at the University of Illinois–Chicago beginning in 2009, Sarai will be the first Canadian turban-wearing player at the NCAA Division I men’s level.
He explained that representation matters personally and community-wide. Sarai also framed his progression as the product of physical gifts and sustained effort, saying he felt compelled to pursue the level where he could be “the best player I can be, help my team win.”
- Local development: His path underscores Surrey’s role as a producer of Division I-level prospects, with development starting at community high schools such as Fleetwood Park.
- Representation: Sarai’s visibility challenges stereotypes about sport participation by South Asian and Sikh youth.
- Program fit: Winthrop’s sustained success in the Big South — including roughly a dozen NCAA tournament appearances over recent decades — was a draw for the forward.
Coaches at Winthrop reportedly evaluated Sarai’s game carefully before offering him a place on the roster, signalling they saw a fit between his skillset and the program’s needs. For Surrey basketball fans, his move offers a nearby example of how local players can progress through junior, junior college and NCAA systems.
As he prepares for the coming season, Sarai said his focus remains on improving as a player and contributing to team success. For many in Surrey, his story will be followed not only for on-court accomplishments but for what it represents about diversity and opportunity in Canadian sport.
Local supporters and those tracking representation in sport will be watching as Sarai takes the court for Winthrop in the NCAA’s top division later this season.
