India forward Mumtaz Khan was on Tuesday named the FIH Women’s Rising Star of the Year for her stellar role during the country’s campaign in Junior. World Cup in South Africa earlier this year.
The 19-year-old from Lucknow had scored eight goals, including a hat-trick, in six matches during India’s fourth-place campaign at Potchefstroom in April.
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She finished third in the list of top scorers in the World Cup. She failed to score in just one game in the entire tournament against the Netherlands.
Mumtaz scored both the goals India The bronze medal match against England in a crucial 2–2 tie, but the team could not cross the line in the ensuing shoot-out to finish in fourth place.
“I can’t believe I have won this award. Our entire team’s hard work has paid off over the years and I dedicate this win to my team,” Mumtaz said.
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“I think the award is a sign that the hard work I have put in on the training grounds over the past year has helped me improve a lot as a player. But this is just the beginning of my career. I look forward to continuing the learning process and will continue to work hard to improve my game.”
After being voted out by experts (40%), teams (20%), fans (20%) and media (20%), Mumtaz defeated Charlotte Engelbert of Belgium by a margin of just three points. The young Indian finished with a total of 32.9 points, with Engelbert finishing second with 29.9 points. Luna Focke of the Netherlands finished third with 16.9 points.
Mumtaz emerged as India’s leading goal-scorer in the FIH Women’s Hockey 5s 2022, where she scored five goals in four matches, including a hat-trick against hosts Switzerland.
Timothée Clement of France was named FIH Men’s Rising Star of the Year.
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