'This sort of recognition is very motivating': Mumtaz Khan on being nominated for FIH Rising Star of the Year

BENGALURU: One of the brightest prospects in Indian women's hockey currently, Mumtaz Khan is among the players who have been nominated for the FIH Star Awards 2021-22.

Mumtaz Khan has been nominated for the FIH Rising Star of the Year (Women) at the FIH Hockey Star Awards 2021-22.

Speaking about the nomination, Mumtaz said, "I am very happy to have been nominated for the award of the FIH Rising Star of the Year (Women). This is a very big moment for me and too it is early in my career. The achievement though is not mine but a result of the whole team working well together. This sort of recognition is very motivating."

The young forward was one of the brightest attackers in the Indian Junior Women's Hockey Team, Mumtaz was the top scorer at the 2022 FIH Junior World Cup, where she scored 8 goals in all, finishing as the most prolific forward on the team. India finished fourth in the tournament.

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"The 2022 FIH Junior World Cup was a difficult tournament but we played well and I am happy about the fact that I scored so many goals. But I would have been happier if we had finished on the podium," she added.

For Mumtaz, the next assignments are set to be with the senior squad, who recently won the Bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games Birmingham.

"Going forward, I want to be a regular in the Indian Women's Hockey Team. And for that I have to work very hard and be the best version of myself regularly. I will do my best to get to my target and help win games and medals for the country. Hopefully, I can continue to do well in the India jersey," she signed off.