EIGHT months after moving to Australia and knowing nothing of Aussie Rules, Nishanth Narayanan will make history on Saturday when he becomes the first Bendigo Umpires Association member with a multi-cultural background to officiate in a senior game.
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Narayanan, from India, will run the boundary in the Loddon Valley Football League senior clash between Calivil United and Pyramid Hill.
Narayanan played cricket last season for Axe Creek in the Emu Valley Cricket Association and joined the BUA with the view of becoming a boundary umpire to keep his fitness levels up during winter.
"I'm a cricketer… I've played in India, England and now Australia. I got to know John Norton (BUA chairman) and from what he told me, I knew there would be the chance for some fitness over the winter," Narayanan said at BUA training at Weeroona Oval on Thursday night.
"Footy is a new game for me, but it's very interesting. There's lots of running and it keeps us agile. I'm really enjoying it and if you can run long, then it's not that difficult."
Narayanan is one of four Indians to have joined the BUA this season, along with Saurabh Singh, Ganesh Ranganathan and Yash Saxena.
BUA chairman John Norton said the four recruits were all welcome additions to the umpiring ranks.
"The BUA understands that we need to continue to grow umpiring numbers throughout our region," Norton said.
"We believe that umpiring offers a fantastic opportunity for people from diverse backgrounds to get into the game.
"You can earn money, make friends, learn life skills and stay fit.
"We now have four Indian professional men as members of the BUA and they are absolutely loving the experience and friendly environment that we offer them.
"They have all come a long way with their boundary umpiring since they took it up at the start of the season, but making sure these guys enjoy their time with the BUA is the most important thing."
