PETALING JAYA: Every step of Nishan Velupillay’s (pic) rise in Australian football has been built on sacrifice, not only his own, but those of his parents.
The 25-year-old winger, who was born in Melbourne to Sasinath Velupillay and Gillian Velupillay, is now on the verge of the biggest moment of his career as Australia prepare to take on Turkiye in their first Group D World Cup encounter at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, Canada today (noon, tomorrow Malaysian time).
His father is of Sri Lankan Tamil descent with Malaysian roots, while his mother is Anglo-Indian.
Their sacrifices and support have helped shape Nishan’s football journey from a young age, and he now has the opportunity to repay them on football’s grandest stage.
“I hope to repay them, that is the dream. I want to compete well in the game,” said Nishan.
“My family can be proud because they did a lot to get me to where I am today, which took a lot of sacrifice.
Nishan burst onto the international scene in October 2024 after being handed his senior debut by Socceroos coach Tony Popovic in a World Cup qualifier against China.
Introduced in the 83rd minute, he made an immediate impact by scoring seven minutes later to seal a 3-1 victory for Australia.
The goal capped a dream debut and announced the arrival of a player who has continued to grow in stature for both club and country.
Nishan has earned seven caps and scored three goals for the Socceroos since making his debut.
The Melbourne Victory winger also believes Australia’s diverse background would be one of the team’s greatest strengths.
“I think we are one of those countries where, if you look across the board, we have people from all these different backgrounds. That is what makes Australia and our squad really special,” he said.
“With different cultures come different personalities as well. I think that is why we are called a family here. It showcases itself on the field as well, and you will see that on Saturday.”
Nishan is among 17 players set to make their World Cup debut for Australia.
