Further to Kersi Meher-Homji’s delightful letter on Zoroastrian sounding sportspersons’ names ("What’s in a name?” Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, October 21, 2012) I have another example that might interest your readers.
It was back in 1974 that the erstwhile Soviet Union was in India to play a Davis Cup tennis match. Commentator and ex-Davis Cupper, the late Jimmy Mehta was thrilled at the name of one of the Soviet players, Teimuraz Kakulia!
A reporter asked Kakulia: "Are there many more Russian tennis players of your standard?” He replied angrily: "I am not Russian, I am Uzbek.”
Kakulia (1947-2006) incidentally was born in the ex-Soviet republic of Georgia but was an ethnic Uzbek and obviously Zoroastrian by faith.
GUL-FRAAZ (GULU) EZEKIEL
New Delhi