Meet young Mumtaz Khan: From suffering two ACL injuries in 4 years to earning call-up to hockey senior national camp

The 20-year-old was called up to the hockey senior women's national team camp that began on April 9.

Mumtaz Khan, one of the brightest prospects in Indian Women's Hockey right now, is among the players who are part of the ongoing Hockey India Senior Women's National Coaching Camp, which began on 9th April and will conclude on 13th May 2023 at SAI, Bengaluru.

The 20-year-old forward was part of the Indian women’s team which won the silver medal in the Youth Olympics in 2018 and courtesy of her hard work, she has risen through the ranks in recent years. However, Mumtaz’s 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

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 was India’s top goal scorer and third-highest overall at the 2022 Women's FIH Hockey Junior World Cup in South Africa with eight goals. Owing to her impressive performance in the tournament, Mumtaz was also named in the senior squad for Hero FIH Hockey 5s Lausanne 2022 in which she scored five goals. 

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 due to my team as all the players in the junior team were very supportive and it was a bonding between us which helped me put up a good show on the field.” 

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. 

Mumtaz also revealed that she idolises Vandana Katariya and Rani and her aim is to win a Medal at the Olympics.