Rugby is her mission
Telugu girl Sobiya Mehnaz is excited to be a part of the first Indian women's rugby team.
Born and raised in Mancherial, Sobiya Mehnaz first witnessed a rugby game a few years ago on television. “I was fascinated with the egg-shaped ball. I did not understand the game, but the way the players were passing the ball was interesting. Later, on my way to Karimnagar for hockey selection trials, I saw people playing rugby. This piqued my interest towards the sport,” she says.
Even though Mehnaz was part of teams that won competitions at various levels, friends and relatives used to constantly demotivate her. Amid insults, humiliation and ridiculing, Mehnaz defied several odds and exhibited great endurance in her journey. “Some of my friends questioned me for choosing a sport that does not have any value, while others said ‘no one knows about the sport’. In fact, I used to give the reference of Sye, a Telugu film (based on rugby), to make them understand,” she reveals, adding, “The toughest part was my diet because I used to eat a lot of junk food. But my dad put me in a gym and ensured I was on a proper diet. The transformation was remarkable. The ones who mocked me were shocked to see my transformation.”
The 18-year-old says rugby is a fascinating sport. “Although physically draining, if people understand the game, it can be fun. It is a sport that needs you to be fit and not masculine,” she says.
Ascribing her success to her parents, she explains, “My father was a boxer and my mother was a district-level cricketer. Nobody encouraged them. However, they didn’t want the same to happen in my case and kept on encouraging me. This has made me put in double the effort.”
Her teachers are a happy lot. “For my annual day function, I used to get most of the prizes, so my teachers were happy. I used to be disappointed about not scoring well in academics and my friends ridiculed me for that. But my resolve to do well was the key. I have slowly picked up in studies too,” shares the second-year degree student.
Rugby has recently been included in the Olympics and Mehnaz is determined to bring a medal for the country. “It is disappointing to know that people follow all sports except rugby. But my aim is to bring rugby to India,” she says.
She’s part of the first Indian women’s rugby team, which has just wrapped up its training in Bilaspur. The 10-member team will leave for Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand in a couple of days.