Nav Bhatia
Nav Bhatia (Punjabi: ਨਵ ਭਾਟੀਆ; born July 9, 1951),[2][3] or simply the Raptors Superfan, is a Canadian businessman and superfan for the Toronto Raptors basketball team. He currently runs the Superfan Foundation as a way to unite people through the love of the sport. He has attended every Toronto Raptors home game since 1995, declaring him to be a true Superfan. On June 19, 2018, Bhatia was named a recipient of the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) Top 25 Canadian Immigrants Award.[4]
Nav Bhatia | |
---|---|
ਨਵ ਭਾਟੀਆ | |
Bhatia in 2019 | |
Born | |
Nationality | Canadian |
Education | Engineering[1] |
Occupation | Businessman |
Years active | 1984–present |
Known for | Raptors Superfan |
Website | navbhatiasuperfan |
Career
When Bhatia moved to Canada in 1984, fleeing violent persecution of Sikhs in India, he struggled to find work as a mechanical engineer and decided to work as a car salesman.[5][6] He achieved a record 127 car sales in 3 months and bought the dealership 2 years later.[7]
Bhatia is the owner of one of the top-selling Hyundai car dealerships in Canada[8] which has enabled him to amass a net worth of $50 million.[9]
He founded the Superfan Foundation in 2018 as a way to bring diverse people in Canada and around the world together through sport.[10] He spends $300K every year to send thousands of kids to Raptors games.[11][12]
After the Toronto Raptors won the NBA Championship during the 2018-2019 season, he became the first ever fan to receive a championship ring.[13]
In 2020, he was honoured by the Basketball Hall of Fame being one of the first fans memorialized in its new superfan gallery.[14]
Personal life
Bhatia is known for being the Raptors’ biggest fan,[15] having attended every Raptors home game in the franchise's 25-year history.[16] He is frequently invited to talk about basketball in the media.[17][18]
Bhatia is known also for his kind spirit and is known to spend his fortune on buying tickets for Raptors games for struggling children and Sikh children.
References
- "Diversity Speaker Nav Bhatia | Raptors Superfan". National Speakers Bureau. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
- "The Masai Ujiri way raises the bar for NBA championship entry | The Star". thestar.com. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
- "The world is falling in love with Raptors 'Superfan' Nav Bhatia, here's why". Toronto. May 29, 2019. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
- Rosella, Louie. (2018-07-13)."Car dealership owner, Raptors ‘superfan’ recognized as top Canadian immigrant". Mississauga.com. Retrieved on 2020-01-27
- "Meet Raptors superfan Nav Bhatia: 'I don't drink. I don't smoke. I don't womanize. I just Raptorize.'". USA TODAY. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
- "Raptors superfan brings story of success and diversity to St. John's". CBC News. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
- "How Raptors Superfan Nav Bhatia used sports to acclimate to Canada - Sportsnet.ca". www.sportsnet.ca. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
- "Meet the 'famous' Raptors superfan who happens to be a top Hyundai dealer". Automotive News Canada. January 18, 2018. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
- Dodge, Sam (May 30, 2019). "Nav Bhatia, Raptors Superfan's Net Worth: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy.com. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
- SUN, Toronto; Email, Share Nav Bhatia launches the Superfan Foundation Tumblr Pinterest Google Plus Reddit LinkedIn; Tumblr; Pinterest; Plus, Google; Reddit; LinkedIn; Email (July 12, 2018). "Nav Bhatia launches the Superfan Foundation | Toronto Sun". Retrieved June 2, 2019.
- Schray, Gabriel (May 27, 2019). "LISTEN: Touching Story of Raptors Superfan Nav Bhatia and Toronto". Midwest Sports Network. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
- "Nav Bhatia". Canadian Immigrant. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
- Jon Rumley (October 24, 2019). "Toronto Raptors Superfan Nav Bhatia Receives NBA Championship Ring". Huffington Post.
- Amir Vera (February 15, 2020). "Toronto Raptors superfan Nav Bhatia to be in new gallery at the Basketball Hall of Fame". CNN.
- "One of these guys is basketball's biggest superfan". BBC News. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
- "BBC Asian Network - Nihal, Nav Bhatia - Toronto Raptors Superfan". BBC. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
- 'Superfan' Nav Bhatia on the Raptors' success, May 17, 2019, retrieved June 2, 2019
- NBA TV Canada (February 28, 2019), Superfan Nav Bhatia Interviews The NBA's Rising Stars I NBA XL, retrieved June 2, 2019