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Hockey star Mumtaz’s wish list has a home for her mother on top
Ace forward from Lucknow scored seven goals throughout the tournament as India win their maiden Women’s Junior Asia Cup at Japan.
The one-room house in Topkhana area of state capital houses five people, including three females, and it hardly has an attached toilet. In the past, the same room had three more females and it always remained a happy family.
This sums up the living condition of Indian hockey star Mumtaz Khan, one of the daughters in the family, whose parents are still selling vegetables on the main crossing near the house. There is no complaint, however, as Mumtaz believes it is her destiny, but she feels that now the time has come when family needs a big change—a good home to make sure space for everyone in the family.
“Now, I want to build a home for my mother, who always treated me like her elder son. I have seen her struggle from the day one in my life and I know what a big home means to her and my family,” said Mumtaz on Tuesday on her return from Japan where India won their maiden Women’s Junior Asia Cup in Kakamigahara, Gifu Prefecture, by defeating Korea with a score of 2-1 in a captivating final match on Sunday.
“So far, I haven’t spent even a single rupee of my prize money on anything unusual and just saving all the money to build a home. It’s my dream,” said Mumtaz, who is expected to get ₹5 lakh, including ₹3 lakh from the Uttar Pradesh government, for her achievement.
“Now, I have ₹15 lakh and this additional ₹five lakh will make it ₹20 lakh and that’s good money to start planning for a new home,” added Mumtaz who on Tuesday joined the national camp of senior women’s team at Bengaluru.
An assistant manager with the Indian Oil, Mumtaz wants to start afresh as the one-month long camp for 33-core probables group is part of the team’s preparations for Hangzhou Asian Games in China, scheduled for September-October.
“I have been to the senior camp for the last few months and I am hoping to make the cut for the Asian Games this time. I will leave no stone unturned in making my dream of playing for senior India a reality,” she added.
On her success in Japan, she said it was like a dream come true for her as now her cabinet is filled all three colours of medals. “When I had my first bronze medal at the 2016 Junior Asia Cup, I started dreaming for a silver and fulfilled it in 2018 when we finished second at the Youth Olympics and thereafter a gold and now it came at Japan last week,” said Mumtaz, adding, “Now, I wish to continue to add more gold medals to my cabinet.”
Getting a place in the Indian squad for the Asian Games isn’t easy for Mumtaz as there are seven more forwards in the camp, including Lalremsiami, Navneet Kaur, Vandana Katariya, Sharmila Devi, Deepika, Sangita Kumari and Sunelita Toppo. “I know it’s a tough competition but at the same time it provides you a chance to give your best at the camp. All depends on selectors, but I am committed to giving my best,” she said.
