What’s in a name? Ask Arjun in the Aus Under-18 hockey team

Bhopal: He came to Bhopal hoping his stick skills would do the talking for him. However, it’s his name, or more precisely, his first name, that has stolen all the spotlight and become a major talking point among locals.

Arjun Brian, a 17-year-old member of the Australian Under-18 squad that is currently in the city for an ongoing hockey series against the Indian colts, has sparked curiosity among locals who assumed from his first name that he has Indian roots.

The team roster listing ‘Arjun’ prompted hockey fans to stop and ask questions, turning the young midfielder into something akin to a celebrity here amid the ongoing India tour.

Addressing the curious questions around his first name, Arjun said it reflects his diverse family heritage rather than direct Indian parentage.

“My mother chose the name,” Arjun told TOI, adding, “She reposes great faith in the Bhagavad Gita and wanted to name me after a great warrior. Who could be a better choice than Arjun?”

Born and raised in Australia, Arjun shared that his father — Brian Siva — comes from a Malaysian background while his mother is a native of Sri Lanka.

Hockey runs in the family, as Brian Siva is no ordinary mentor but a former international star, who represented Malaysia at the Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996 Olympics.

Arjun said he started playing at six under his father’s watchful eye, while also absorbing techniques and tactical lessons watching the former Olympian’s matches and hearing stories of his exploits at sport’s biggest stage.

“He taught me positioning, reading the game and staying calm under pressure,” Arjun said, crediting his father’s experience on the world stage with shaping his own approach to the sport.

Coaches described Arjun as a promising young talent with a calm temperament and a sharp hockey brain, traits the teenager attributes to years of tutelage and exposure to high-level hockey.

However, on-field performance, they say, will ultimately define his impact in the hockey series.

Meanwhile, the unusual pairing of a distinctly Indian name with a Western middle name — Arjun Brian — continues to fuel conversations about his identity, heritage and the sport’s global reach.

Local spectators, not accustomed to traditional Indian names for visiting athletes, were curious about his Indian roots, if any.

To this, Arjun clarified that his paternal lineage is Malaysian, reflecting the broader cultural interconnection across the Pacific.

As the bilateral series unfolds, locals say they now want to focus more on his play than his name.