A BHANGRA dancer from the Forest said it was “surreal” to be given the chance to represent Indian culture at the closing ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Priya Maurya, 19, from Coleford, represented the Forest at the closing ceremony of the games at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium with Midlands-based Bhangra dance group Lions of Punjab.

Her performance on Sunday, August 7 took place as the Indian contingent at the games - led by star female boxer Nikhat Zareen and veteran male table tennis player Achanta Sharath Kamal - walked into the stadium to celebrate the country’s 61 medals.

The closing ceremony was watched by a live audience of more than 30,000 people inside the stadium and more than a billion worldwide.

The group delivered their routine as Panjabi MC blasted his global Bhangra hit ‘Mundian To Bach Ke’, in what was a vibrant and energetic display of Indian culture.

Priya, whose dad Rajesh owns The Wye Fry chip shop in Lydbrook, has only been Bhangra dancing for two years, having previously practiced mainly Bollywood.

She became involved with Lions of Punjab, which has more than 85 years of Bhangra experience collectively, after attending some of their performance classes.

And when the Lions were asked to put together a performance for this year’s games, Priya was called up to the main group.

She said that taking part in the ceremony in front of so many people was a once in a lifetime experience.

She said of the performance: “It was surreal!

“To be representing culture in front of so many people was an amazing thing to be a part of.”

The “unforgettable” ceremony was a celebration of the diversity of both the Commonwealth and the Midlands, with musical performances from the likes of Apache Indian, Raza Hussain and Beverley Knight, as well as a surprise appearance from the city’s own ‘Prince of Darkness’ Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi.