Vancouver Bandits Unveil New Logo and Jersey Ahead of 2024 South Asian Heritage Game

Bandits Staff • Apr 04, 2024

The Vancouver Bandits unveiled Thursday a new logo and jersey designed in collaboration with artist Sandeep Johal to celebrate South Asian culture and to be worn this upcoming Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season.


The jersey will be debuted in conjunction with the Bandits’ first-ever ‘South Asian Heritage’ theme game, taking place on Saturday, June 1 when Vancouver takes on the Calgary Surge in a rematch of last year’s tightly contested western conference finals matchup. 


The highly anticipated June 1st game will include various pre-game and in-game entertainment and production activations designed to showcase the beauty and culture of South Asia. 


Tickets for the game are on sale now at this link. Adult and youth sizes of the jersey are now available for sale as well.


Adding to the various exciting facets of the game day is the debut of the new jersey, which features a custom logo designed by Johal to honour South Asian artistic traditions and design techniques. 


“It’s a celebration of being South Asian. It’s a celebration of our culture. It’s very vibrant. It’s very joyful. It’s very colorful and I bring that into my work a lot. I leaned into Phulkari, which is folk embroidery from Punjab,” Johal said.


“When you see your culture being represented at such a grand scale, it makes you feel like you have the ability to be a part of that and that maybe this space is for you. I'm loving this shift, where we're seeing organizations open up those spaces for all of us.”


The Bandits’ sixth CEBL campaign marks the first time that the club will host a theme game focused on bringing fans closer to the history, style and artistry of South Asia, which has grown to be an important part of British Columbia’s cultural fabric. As of 2021, 9.6 per cent of the province’s population is South Asian, according to Statistics Canada.


Johal’s rendition of the Bandits’ logo champions a pink colour for the eye mask to evoke a sense of energy and passion. Central to her style is the use of the eye, which has been lengthened and defined to create a focal point.


Further enhancing the reimagined logo is the incorporation of a paisley illustration, which takes its inspiration from a common pattern often seen in sari borders or different textiles. The use of paisley, or “ambi” in Punjabi, pays tribute to a popular motif in South Asian design. 


“Over the past few seasons we have had it in our plans to unveil a Vancouver Bandits South Asian Heritage Game. Through the support and encouragement from our fans, we are excited to unveil this inaugural event, which is bolstered by a special jersey designed by Sandeep Johal that represents the cultural diversity of the South Asian community in British Columbia,” said Bandits team president Dylan Kular. 


The Vancouver Bandits open the club’s sixth season when the club tips off on May 23rd at 7 p.m. for its highly anticipated home opener against the Montréal Alliance.


Vancouver will play a total of 10 regular season home games in 2024 between Thursday, May 23 and Thursday, July 18. The Bandits wrap up regular season action on the road against Montréal on Sunday, July 28 at 1 p.m. PT. 


All CEBL regular season games including playoffs will be live-streamed on TSN+, as well as the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+, and on CEBL Mobile, the official app of the CEBL (available on Android and iOS devices).


Individuals interested in ticket flexibility or purchasing a bundle of tickets are invited to consider a flex pack or season tickets. More information can be found at thebandits.ca/tickets or by speaking with a  Bandits representative by calling (604) 455-8881 or emailing tickets@thebandits.ca.


A complete regular season schedule can be found by clicking here. More information is available at thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on Instagram and TikTok, as well as @vancitybandits on Facebook and Twitter.

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By Bandits Staff • 03 May, 2024
The Vancouver Bandits announced Friday that one of the province’s largest General Motors dealerships, Preston Chevrolet, has renewed its dedication to supporting Canadian professional basketball by extending its community and marketing partnership with the Bandits for the 2024 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season. Vancouver Bandits and Preston Chevrolet have been partners since the Vancouver Bandits made their debut at the Langley Events Centre in 2022. The focus of Preston Chevrolet’s partnership with BC’s professional basketball team is to contribute to the game day experience at the home venue, the Langley Events Centre (LEC), while supporting their additional community outreach programs. This support includes initiatives such as; the Community Champion program, Vancouver Bandits’ school visits, and community event attendance throughout the province powered by the Vancouver Bandits’ Community Cruiser proudly supplied by Preston Chevrolet. Since 2022, Preston Chevrolet has supported the Community Champion program where community teams from across the region have experienced Vancouver Bandits basketball in the Preston Players’ Lounge at Langley Events Centre. The community Champion program allowed hundreds of at-risk youths to get the opportunity to attend Vancouver Bandits games; an opportunity that many would not receive otherwise. With the support of Preston Chevrolet, from November 2023 to February 2024; the Vancouver Bandits head coach & general manager Kyle Julius visited 81 middle school and high schools across the province. The purpose of these visits was to support middle school and high school basketball programs with complimentary coaching and player development. “Our community partnership with the Bandits has been outstanding from the start. Both our organizations believe in the value and accessibility of sports, particularly team sports for youth and families in our communities” said Peter Heppner of Preston Chevrolet. Preston Chevrolet has been a family-owned and operated business in Langley since 1965. Purchased from the Preston family in 2006 Peter and son (Leigh Heppner) continue the long-standing commitment to supporting the communities they serve. “The moment we committed to Langley Events Centre in 2022 we were made aware of Peter Heppner and Preston Chevrolet’s commitment to giving back to the community. It was more than just marketing for Peter and Preston Chevrolet, it was about finding ways for Vancouver Bandits basketball to execute programming that provided youth in our community with accessible opportunities. Peter Heppner, Leigh Heppner, and the entire team at Preston Chevrolet have embraced Vancouver Bandits basketball with open arms, enabling us to strengthen our community and bring us together through basketball. We are excited to continue our partnership for a third consecutive season.” Bandits team president Dylan Kular said. 

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By Bandits Staff • 02 May, 2024
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By Bandits Staff • 30 Apr, 2024
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World-renowned Recording Artist Sharry Mann to Perform at Vancouver Bandits June 1st South Asian Heritage Game

By Bandits Staff • 30 Apr, 2024
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