New Delhi : India's Nasreen Shaikh is all pumped up for the upcoming first edition of the Kho Kho World Cup, scheduled for 13-19th January in India. She revealed how her journey of becoming the captain and 4th Asian Championships gold medalist wasn't a bed of roses.
Nasreen's Kho Kho journey started in class third, because of her elder sister, who was also a Kho Kho player but didn't receive support from her family to pursue her dream. Hence, with motivation and support from her sister, Nasreen embarked on the ride to achieve her sister's dream.
"My elder sister couldn't get the chance to play Kho Kho. She was the eldest in the family and our financial condition wasn't great at that time to support her in any sport. I was very young at that time and she was not allowed to go and play Nationals. So she motivated me to fulfill her dream of playing for India and winning a gold medal. She took care of me properly and because she didn't get the chance, she laid her focus on me and the first time I felt I should play Kho Kho was after seeing my elder sister," Nasreen said as quoted by a Kho Kho Federation of India (KKFI) press release.
Hailing from a humble background with her father selling utensils in a roadside market to make a living, Nasreen didn't let the odds hold her back. Her contribution to the sport also led to her being awarded the Arjuna Award last year. She is now aiming to make her family and country proud by shining bright in the upcoming Kho Kho World Cup and shared how the tournament can help the Kho Kho players gain people's recognition and love.
"When I started playing in 3rd class, I also dreamed of playing in the Kho Kho World Cup, which could provide the players recognition and popularity. Now, we are finally going to get recognition from this upcoming Kho Kho World Cup. It is a matter of pride for us," Nasreen added.
Nasreen also shared how the introduction of sports science in their sport has reduced the risk of acquiring injury by revealing the weakness and fitness of the body. "We are becoming aware of our fitness through sports science. It also helps us identify our weaknesses, which we can then cover easily. We think that we are fit but this helps us in becoming aware of which part of our body is weak and is causing injury. Thus, we can then work on it. I am very happy with this concept," Nasreen concluded.