Nausheen Naz, a 15-year-old striker from Seoni, Madhya Pradesh, emerged as the leading scorer at the 16th Hockey India Sub Junior Women National Championship 2026 held in Bhopal, netting 9 goals across the tournament. Now training at the SAI Bhopal U-18 National Coaching Camp under the mentorship of former Indian captain Rani Rampal, Nausheen's ascent to the national stage reflects a journey marked by resourcefulness, familial sacrifice, and defiance of entrenched social barriers.

From broken stick to tournament glory

Nausheen's entry into hockey was born of necessity rather than privilege. At age 10, inspired by her elder sister Tahoor Naz, she sought to play but lacked the means to purchase a stick. "I found a broken one at the ground and brought it home. I took it to a local blacksmith and used a nail to fix the pieces together so that I could play," Nausheen recalls. She trained with that repaired implement for an entire year before receiving a proper stick through a day-boarding program — a delay that could have deterred many but only sharpened her hunger.

Poverty and social resistance

Beyond financial constraint, Nausheen confronted cultural resistance in her community. Her father worked as a vegetable seller and truck driver; her family lived in rented accommodation with minimal resources. "In my community, few people encouraged girls to play sports. People would say that girls shouldn't step out to play," she explains. The pressure became so acute that Nausheen abandoned the sport for two years, working alongside her father to help sustain the household. During this hiatus, she borrowed shoes from teammates when her own wore out — a small detail that underscores the material scarcity she navigated.

The mother's intervention

Nausheen's return to hockey hinged on her mother's intervention. "My mother stood by me. She told my father that he should support his daughter's passion and not listen to what others say," Nausheen recounts. This maternal backing proved pivotal: it enabled her enrollment at the Gwalior Women's Hockey Academy, which in turn opened the pathway to the national camp. The family's sacrifice — her mother's insistence, her father's eventual acceptance — reframed the household's relationship with her ambition.

Training under Rani Rampal

At the Bhopal camp, Nausheen trains under Rani Rampal, a player she regards as both technical mentor and aspirational figure. "She explains things so clearly—like how to stop the ball properly while on the run and how to keep it hard on the move. I want to become like her," Nausheen says. For a teenager who has often lacked basic equipment, access to elite coaching from a former national captain represents a transformative opportunity. Her focus now centres on perfecting foundational skills and securing selection for the U-18 Asia Cup Kakamigahara 2026.

What lies ahead

Nausheen's stated ambition transcends personal achievement. "My goal is to play for India so that I can support my parents and make sure my father doesn't have to work this hard anymore," she says. The championship platform, supported by Anandana, the Coca-Cola India Foundation, has provided visibility and belief. Her 9-goal haul at the nationals signals that the combination of grit, technical growth, and institutional backing may yet translate into sustained progress — provided the systems that identified her talent continue to nurture it.