THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Ever since she wielded a racket in her left hand as a six-year-old, Mehreen Riza has generated considerable interest among the badminton fraternity. Now 14-years-old, the youngster from Thiruvananthapuram is fast becoming the next big thing in Indian badminton.
The year 2017, in particular, has been a hugely successful period on the court for Mehreen as she reached the senior women’s final in the state ranking tournament held at Ernakulam in June - no mean feat for a 14-year-old. Mehreen with Kannur’s Treesa Jolly also emerged as the number one doubles team in under-15 category in the country.
Mehreen was also the winner of the U-15 girls singles and doubles competitions in the Savithri Devi Saboo memorial tournament held in Kozhikode and runner-up in the under-17 girls’ singles at the BPI tournament held in Ernakulam earlier this year - making it a year to remember for her. “Being a left-hander in a sport which is dominated by right-handers is in itself Mehreen’s greatest advantage. She has the physique and her shots are very powerful. The timing is second to none in this age category,” said Aneesh K A who coached her at the Riz Badminton Academy in Kochi.
“We expected Mehreen to compete with seniors in a year or so. But she has proven already this year that she is capable of doing that and defeats senior players. If she can continue this development, I am confident Mehreen can be a star at the national and international level,” said Aneesh. “In the beginning, Mehreen used to play the game with her brother. When she won the state under-11 title at the age of seven, we knew she was destined for bigger things. She is very dedicated and hardworking,” said Mehreen’s father Riza Mohammed, a State Bank of India employee.
Mehreen had suffered a hip avulsion fracture in 2015 and spent close to a year in recovery. That was when she shifted to Kochi to join Kendriya Vidyalaya, Kadavanthra and work with Aneesh. Now a 10th standard student, Mehreen has returned to KV Pattom and is training in the city. “The Kendriya Vidyalaya has been very supportive of my career. When I miss classes due to badminton commitments, it is my teachers and classmates who come to my help,” said Mehreen. “This has been a good year for me, but there is still a lot to improve,” she added. “I have been partnering with Treesa in the doubles, but it is singles that I enjoy playing and would like to concentrate on,” Mehreen added.
Profile of a shuttler
Name: Mehreen Riza K
Date of birth: January 23, 2003
Place: Pattom, Thiruvananthapuram
School: Kendriya Vidyalaya, Pattom