Nav Bhatia Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography

Some Lesser Known Facts About Nav Bhatia

• Nav Bhatia grew up in New Delhi. In 1984, he moved to Toronto, Canada, during the anti-Sikh riots in India.
  

  An old picture of Nav Bhatia with his family

• In Canada, he struggled to find a job as a mechanical engineer.

• Bhatia faced racism and was treated differently because of his appearance.

• His friends told him to shave his beard and remove his turban to get a job.

• Bhatia refused to give up and got a job as a car salesman.

• Within three months, Nav Bhatia sold 127 cars and set a record at his workplace.

• Two years later, he bought the car dealership and owned two Hyundai dealerships in Mississauga and Rexdale.

• Later, his dealerships became the top-selling Hyundai dealerships in Canada.
  

  Nav Bhatia while promoting his car dealership business

• In 2016, Nav Bhatia became the only non-Christian global ambassador for World Vision’s Rise Up! Daughters of India campaign.

• He pledged to build school washrooms for girls in rural areas of Punjab and Rajasthan as part of the campaign.
  

  Nav Bhatia and his daughter while laying the foundation of washrooms for girls in Punjab

• In 2018, Nav Bhatia started the Superfan Foundation to unite people in Canada and worldwide through basketball.

• Reportedly, every year, he spends $300,000 on this foundation to send thousands of kids to Raptors games.
  

  Nav Bhatia on the poster of his Superfan Foundation

• The foundation also builds basketball courts and organizes camps for kids from all backgrounds.

• It also sells Superfan t-shirts and slippers online to use the money for charity.
  

  Nav Bhatia while promoting his ‘Superfan’ jersey

• From 1995 to 2020, Nav Bhatia attended every Raptors home game for 25 years.

• After the Toronto Raptors won the NBA Championship in the 2018-2019 season, he became the first fan to get an official NBA championship ring.
  

  Nav Bhatia while showing the official NBA championship ring

• In 2020, the Basketball Hall of Fame announced Nav Bhatia as one of the first fans to be included in its new superfan gallery.

• The Raptors had also temporarily played in Tampa, Florida, during the 2020-2021 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• His attendance ended on 10 December 2021, when he had to isolate himself after a COVID-19 outbreak.

• In 2021, Nav Bhatia was announced as the biggest fan of the Toronto Raptors.
  

  Nav Bhatia while wearing the jersey of Toronto Raptors

• The Hall of Fame officially honoured him on 15 May 2021, during their induction weekend.
  

  Nav Bhatia while posing at the Hall of Fame

• His exhibit at the Hall of Fame included his turban and a Superfan jersey.

• On 3 December 2021, CBC released a documentary titled Superfan: The Nav Bhatia Story, based on his life.
  

  Nav Bhatia on the poster of CBC documentary Superfan The Nav Bhatia Story

• His documentary featured interviews with Bhatia’s family and friends and well-known personalities like comedian Russell Peters, former NBA superstar Vince Carter, Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, and Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas.

• Later, it was announced that a Hollywood biopic, Superfan, about him, would be released and actor Kal Penn would portray Nav Bhatia in the biopic.

• Nav Bhatia is known as the Raptors’ Official Superfan and the Raptors’ South Asian Community Ambassador, working alongside Drake.

• In 2023, the city of Mississauga awarded him the Key to the City.

• Nav Bhatia is often invited to talk about basketball in the media.
  

  Nav Bhatia while promoting basketball during a media conversation

• He is recognized for promoting diversity and inclusion at Scotiabank Arena and Canadian Basketball.

• In 2023, Nav Bhatia travelled worldwide to promote Canada at the FIBA World Cup. Canada won a historic bronze medal during the games.

• In November 2024, he was featured as a clue on the Indian game show Kaun Banega Crorepati. The question highlighted his Basketball Hall of Fame induction in 2021 and his love for basketball.
  

  Amitabh Bachchan while asking a question about Nav Bhatia during the show Kaun Banega Crorepati in 2024

• Nav Bhatia actively works to bring Bollywood to Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and aims to change prevailing perceptions of Sikhs through basketball and his business.

• His daughter, Tia, was adopted from an orphanage in India.

• Nav Bhatia has collaborated with brands such as Tim Hortons and Tourism Toronto as an influencer.

• In April 2024, he released his book The Heart of a Superfan: A Memoir of Grit, Love, Family and Basketball.
  

  Nav Bhatia with Gulshan Grover while promoting his book The Heart of a Superfan A Memoir of Grit, Love, Family and Basketball

• Nav Bhatia has walked the ramp for many renowned fashion designers.
  

  Nav Bhatia while walking the ramp at a fashion show

• Once, in a media conversation, he shared that he was not interested in politics. Nav Bhatia said,
  

  I stay away from politics to be honest. But I am a proud Sikh. And that is first and foremost.”