Mumtaz hopes exposure in Chile will help her get into senior hockey team
LUCKNOW: “I have two set of parents. While the one gave birth to me, the other taught me hockey,” said Mumtaz Khan, ace forward of the Indian junior women’s hockey team while describing her relationship with her coaches Neelam Siddiqui and her husband Rashid Siddiqui.
“Whatever I am today in the game, it’s because of Siddiqui duo and for me they are also my parents who not only taught me the finer points of the game, but also helped me a lot in every aspects of my life,” said Mumtaz just before catching the early morning flight to Chile on an exposure trip, along with 23 other Indian junior team members, on Friday.
“I talk to them every day without any break, whether I am at the camp, playing for India or in any part of the world. That has become routine of the life and thinking anything beyond them is something impossible for me,” said Mumtaz, daughter of one Hafeez Khan, who has been a vegetable vendor in the state capital since long.
Mumtaz, who has been an integral part of the Indian junior team and has featured in more than 40 international encounters for the country, had a bronze medal at the 2016 Asia Cup, and has high hopes from the trip to Chile where she would be playing against junior Chile Team on January 17 and 18 before playing against the senior Chile team on January 20, 21, 23 and 24.
A former inmate of the state government-run girls hockey hostel here, Mumtaz would be celebrating her 18th birthday on January 15, has so far appeared for India in some important events like Youth Olympic qualifier, won silver medal at the Youth Olympics, won a silver medal at the 6-nation tournament at Belgium, India A vs France A test series and Ireland 4-nation tournament.
The Indian junior women’s hockey team played their last competition in December 2019 when they squared off against Australia and New Zealand in the 3-Nations Tournament. The team had played four matches – two each against New Zealand and against Australia, respectively in which they won two games, drew one and lost one.
“I was waiting for this opportunity ever since the lockdown was announced in March and even after being locked in home during that period, I kept discussing my fitness and skill training with Neelam madam. And before going to national amp at Bengaluru in October, I kept training at the ‘Babu’ Stadium,” said Mumtaz.
Besides Mumtaz, the team have Suman Devi Thoudam, Ishika Chaudhary, Khushboo, Rashanpreet Kaur, Mahima Choudhary, Priyanka, Gagandeep Kaur, Sushma Kumari, Akshata Dhekale, Baljeet Kaur, Chetna, Mariana Kujur, Ajmina Kujur, Reet, Prabhleen Kaur, Vaishnavi Phalke, Preeti, Jiwan Kishori Toppo, Rutuja Pisal, Sangita Kumari, Beauty Dungdung, Lalrindiki and Deepika.
“My aim is to make full use of the opportunity at Chile and graduate to the senior India side for the future events like Asian Championship and I will leave no stone unturned to make my dream a success,” said Mumtaz.
Both Neelam and Rashid, hockey coaches with UP Sports Directorate and the Sports Authority of India, hailed Mumtaz’s selection for the Chile tour. “She (Mumtaz) has that spark in her and I am very sure about her doing well in Chile,” the coaches said on Friday. “Our biggest dream is to see her donning the senior India colour,” they added.