ALIGARH: For the first time in its history of almost 100 years, Aligarh Muslim University allowing girls to play hockey.
This tiny revolution in AMU is a junior venture which includes students from the 10 schools at the campus and if everything goes well than the first competitive match could be played in February 2019.
“This is a great beginning for women’s hockey and, in particular, Muslim girls to get a chance to play the game. It will open many doors for them,” said Aslam Sher Khan, a World Cup-winner with the Indian men’s hockey team in 1975.
Talking about the passion for hockey, Naseem Zehra told Times Of India that,“Playing hockey was never on my mind until one day my brother told me that a girls’ hockey team was being formed. I decided to try it out and now am enjoying it very much,” said Naseem. “But you know what’s the best part? Everyone now wants to be friends with me since they think that girls in the hockey team are cool.”
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And now it seems that the hockey fever has become contagious. It’s not only juniors that have taken up the game but even seniors too. Special permission from her hostel warden would be taken to play the game key after the classes, said Afreen Ali, a final year student.
This mini hockey revolution comes only after sustained efforts made over years.
Razia Rizvi is a Deputy Director, physical education at AMU’s women college remembers her struggle of how she tried hard to make girls play hockey in the university but nothing happened.
Now, things are changing for the better and and there comes a long, long glorious way.