CITY’S talented hockey player Aakib Rahim, who plays for Indian Navy and Services Sports Control Board (SSCB), has been selected as one of the 54 players for the Hockey India Senior Men’s National Coaching Camp. The camp is scheduled to be held at Sports Authority of India (SAI) Centre in Bengaluru from April 25. The players are informed to reach the venue on April 24 and report to chief coach Craig Fulton. Aakib, son of Arif and Noorjha, thus became the second male player after his cousin brother Syed Niyaz Rahim, to be selected in the core group of Hockey India. Niyaz, the current captain of Indian Railways’ hockey team, was also one of the probables for India team a few years ago. Hockey runs in Rahim family’s blood. Aakib’s father was also a renowned hockey player and had represented Nagpur City Police and Maharashtra Police in various tournaments.

 

His two brothers, Asif and Sakib too have played hockey at State level. But Aakib went a notch further after he decided to leave his home turf Nagpur for better prospects. With hockey continuously declining in the city due to bickering among the officials, several players decided to part their ways with Vidarbha Hockey Association. Aakib, too, did the same. The midfielder, after starting his career with New Police Boys hockey team in Nagpur, decided to move to Hockey Maharashtra fold in 2014. Aakib said that he will have to work hard to secure a berth in the 18-member team. “It’s a great opportunity for me to get picked in the 54 core probables. I will have to work much harder to stay with the final 18,” Aakib told ‘The Hitavada’ from New Delhi, where he is training with the Indian Navy team. The 28-year-old playmaker then tried his luck with Hockey Maharashtra and succeeded in winning gold in the nationals in 2020.

 

As luck would have it, Aakib was roped in by the Indian Navy and he showed his skills in departmental nationals. Aakib also won national games bronze and inter-department bronze medals in the last five years. Aakib, a former St John’s High School and Sindhu Mahavidyalaya student, has also clinched gold medal for Services team at Jhansi Nationals. Aakib had in the past also helped the Navy team win the title at Senior Nehru Hockey Tournament in 2022. Aakib also represented Mohun Bagan that won the Kolkata Premier League in 2023. With Aakib in the core probables, the number of city players increased to three. Another midfielder Himanshi Gawande is part of the Junior India set-up and is waiting for her selection in the national team. The 54-member core group will be pruned down to 40 by April 30 to make new core group of senior men for future coaching camps and international tournaments, it has been learnt.