Harpal Singh Bedi
New Delhi, 19 April : Top goal scorer and third-highest overall at the Women’s Hockey Junior World Cup, Mumtaz Khan, has been selected for the on going senior national Coaching Camp, at SAI, Bengaluru.
The 20-year-old forward was part of the Indian team which won Silver medal in the Youth Olympics in 2018 and due to hard work, she has risen through the ranks in recent years .Owing to her impressive performance in the tournament, Mumtaz was also named in the senior squad for Hero FIH Hockey 5s Lausanne in which she scored five goals.
However, her journey so far has been anything but easy as she has faced many hurdles in her career. Mumtaz’s list of challenges includes two ACL injuries in 2019 and 2022.
Talking about her rough phase and how she tackled it, Mumtaz said, “It was a big setback for me as I suffered an injury for the first time in my career and it turned out to be an ACL tear. I was very anxious while recovering from the injury and used to think if I’ll be able to walk again or not. If it’s the end of my career?”
“I was very irritated and used to cry a lot during that rough period, but I still managed to complete my rehab in 6-7 months. I motivated myself to get back on the field as soon as possible and play as I used to before I got injured,” she added
She also expressed her gratitude to her team members, coaches and support staff for helping her get back on her feet when she was struggling. “I was a junior team player when I got injured. So, I didn’t have any job back then nor was I financially stable. However, Hockey India supported me in every possible way during that time and even put me in rehab with the senior team. There used to be a physio, a trainer and members of medical staff to take care of me and assure me that I will be fit again to play. Moreover, senior players used to check in on me and provide moral support during rehab. Hence, I am really grateful to Hockey India for extending a helping hand when I needed it the most,”
Notably, Mumtaz Khan was named FIH Women’s Rising Star of the Year in 2021 and she also won Hockey India Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year 2022. Speaking on the same, she said, “Given the fact that I was on the verge of giving up on hockey after getting injured, it was no less than a dream for me to win the two prestigious awards. Also, I received the FIH Women’s Rising Star of Year award “
