Mumtaz Khan is one of the brightest prospects in Indian hockey. The 20-year-old forward was part of the Indian women’s team which won silver medal in the Youth Olympics in 2018.
Her eight goals at the 2022 women’s FIH hockey World Cup - which made her India’s top goal scorer and third-highest overall in the tournament - helped India to a fourth-place finish.
Her performances saw her being 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. Mumtaz also earned a call up to the senior squad for Hockey 5s Lausanne 2022 in which she scored five goals.
However, it hasn’t been an easy journey for the youngster. Still in the early stages of her career, Mumtaz has had to spend considerable time away from the sport due to two separate 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 has always had this junoon’: Meet Mumtaz Khan, India’s daring young goalscorer
Mumtaz 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,” she said.
Mumtaz further revealed that she didn’t tell her parents about her injuries in order to keep them stress-free.
“I never told my parents about my injuries even when I went under the knife. I didn’t involve my parents as there were already many other issues they were dealing with and I didn’t want to add to their tension.”
Mumtaz, who is currently attending the Hockey India senior women’s national coaching camp after completing her rehab from her second ACL injury, stated that she is working hard to match the level of senior players.
“It’s a bit difficult for me to match up to the level of the senior team as I was out of action for 8 months due to my second ACL injury and recently completed my rehab. However, I am giving my 100 percent in the camp to up my game and senior members are also being very kind and helping me improve my game,” she said.
The senior women’s national camp began at SAI Bengaluru on April 9 and will conclude on May 13, 2023.