From Delhi Slums To Rugby Premier League, The Journey Of Javed Hussain
Javed Hussain says he isn't playing the RPL for the money or fame, but the experience and exposure.
A week into the Rugby Premier League (RPL) season, the Hyderabad Heroes have won all four of their matches and stand on top of the standings with 15 points and at the heart of their success is Javed Hussain, a player whose journey has been anything but ordinary. With four tries and 20 points to his name, Javed is not only the league's best performing Indian but also ranks seventh overall in the points tally.
'I am very happy with my team. We understand and support each other. We trust each other and are united as a team," Javed said.
That unity has been key in the big wins including their last victory over the Mumbai Dreamers where Javed was named as 'Player of the Match'.
Although he is on top of his game at the moment, Javed recalled his pre-match jitters ahead of his first game at the RPL.
'When I played my first match, I was a little hopeless. I didn't know how I was going to play against such big names. But everything changed after that first game and the first try I scored. When the match ended, my coach selected me as the Hero of the Day and gave me a jersey. I started crying when I got the jersey," he said.
Javed hails from a very humble background in Vasant Kunj, New Delhi and has a peculiar story on how he got into a sport like rugby. On how his journey started, he shared, 'We used to live in Juggis (makeshift houses). There was a jungle behind where we used to go to relieve ourselves since we didn't have a bathroom. Slowly an NGO (Earth Foundation) came, cleared the jungle and made a ground."
'The coaches from Delhi Hurricanes rugby club came in collaboration with the NGO and used to train kids there. I was standing there and watching as my friends used to play but I didn't understand the sport and I was scared of the older kids and hence didn't want to play. I started playing because the coaches told me they would give me a 'Tiger' biscuit packet after training and for those biscuits I got greedy and started playing," he explained.
Despite his humble beginnings, Javed made it clear that he isn't playing the RPL for the money or fame, but the experience and exposure. He stated, 'When I joined the league, I didn't care about money or anything else. I just wanted to play with the people I used to watch on TV. I wanted to learn from them. It doesn't matter if I play well or not. I just wanted to experience playing with and against them."
Javed is surrounded by world-class players in the Hyderabad Heroes camp. Olympic medallists like Joji Nasova and Terio Tamani from Fiji and global stars like his Spanish Captain Manu Moreno share a locker room with him which is the kind of exposure invaluable for a budding rugby player.
Javed is enjoying training under one of the biggest names in world rugby DJ Forbes who is also a former captain of the All Blacks Sevens team. About Forbes, Javed expressed, ' I don't have any pressure from my coach and he is the best person that I could train under. He knows my potential and strengths and directs me very well on the field. Even our captain Manu Moreno is very supportive. Whenever I make mistakes, he helps me a lot and he is very insightful."
Javed plays every match with his hand taped with 'Mom' 'and Dad' and a heart drawn on it. When asked about this gesture, he replied, 'When I used to play earlier, my family didn't have much money but my dad still used to support me the best he could. Despite everything, whatever I asked for, if they had the facilities, they would give that to me and I am very grateful for them."
About the Author
Sports Desk
First Published:
June 21, 2025, 19:47 IST
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
26 minutes ago
- Time of India
Vaishnavi's dominance, Harshvardhan and Dinesh rally light up day 1 for Maharashtra
1 2 3 4 Nagpur: Vaishnavi Torve, Dinesh Malpote, and Harshvardhan Mali registered victories in contrasting fashion to start Maharashtra's campaign in the chief minister's cup U-15 national wrestling championship on a high note. While Vaishnavi, a small-town girl from Loni Deulkar in Indapur Taluka of Pune district, delivered a dominant display in the first final of the day, played in front of CM Devendra Fadnavis, Dinesh and Harshvardhan rallied from two points down to surprise the experienced grapplers from Haryana in close contests to emerge as champions. In the 46kg women's freestyle final, Vaishnavi thrashed Anshika Yadav of Delhi 10-0 to open Maharashtra's gold medal account. In a dominant display, Vaishnavi took just 1 minute and 45 seconds to clinch the yellow metal. Trained by Prakash Kodekar at a small town near Pandharpur, Vaishnavi won the national gold medal on debut. "I got my grip in the initial stage, and that was enough for me to win the bout. Though this is my first national medal, I am optimistic about doing well in the Asian Championship and look forward to making my parents and country proud," Vaishnavi told TOI. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villa For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Villas in Dubai | Search ads Learn More Undo Dinesh Malpote, a farmer's son from Mulashi Taluka of Pune, followed Vaishnavi's feat with a gold medal in the 57kg freestyle boys' final. In a thrilling summit clash, Dinesh defeated Jatin Singh of Haryana 3-2. Trained under Olympian Ravinder Khatri at the Hindkesari Amol Buchade Academy in Pune, Dinesh aims to become one of India's Olympic medallists. "My coach is working very rigorously with me, and our aim is to first win a medal in the Asian Championship. Thereafter, my target is to become one of the youngest medallists in the 2028 LA Olympics," Dinesh told TOI. Later, Harshvardhan Mali added the third gold medal for Maharashtra when he outclassed Haryana's Sawan Singh 7-5 to emerge as champion in the 48kg freestyle boys' final. In an exciting 52kg boys' final, Maharashtra's Shrikant Sawant suffered a heartbreaking defeat when he was tied with Prathamesh Patil from Services 5-5. With Prathamesh scoring the last point, he was declared the winner. Overall, Maharashtra finished the opening day with three gold medals, three silver, and five bronze medals. Haryana wrestlers, however, took the opening day's honours by winning as many as five gold medals.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
27 minutes ago
- First Post
Bumrah roars, Pant dazzles, but Pope keeps England in the fight as they reach 209/3 on Day 2
Rishabh Pant's century and Jasprit Bumrah's fiery spell lit up Day 2 of the 1st Test at Headingley. Ollie Pope countered with an unbeaten ton as England reached 209/3 in reply to India's 471. read more Leeds: Jasprit Bumrah displayed his spine-tingling genius after Rishabh Pant unfurled an audacious hundred, but England batters led by centurion Ollie Pope produced their own parade to reach 209 for three at the end of the second day of the first Test here Saturday. Pope (100 batting) and Harry Brook (0) were at crease when the stumps were drawn with England whittling down India's lead to 262 after the visitors made 471 in their first innings. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Brook would certainly thank his stars as a pull off Bumrah, which was caught by Mohammed Siraj, was adjudged no-ball in the last over of the day. It was a sliver of example how the Indian pacer tormented the hosts batters. England did not quite solve the Bumrah puzzle but they showed enough spunk to bat through the storm. Pope can be a lovely batter to watch in full flow, but here the Surrey man sussed up the conditions and the general quality of the attack to a nicety to tweak his batting. Once he survived a massive shout for leg-before perpetuated by Mohammed Siraj, relying mainly on his bottom hand to collect runs with cuts and dabs through point, gully regions. Pope came to the middle when Bumrah was bowling in a charged atmosphere after he consumed opener Zak Crawley in the first over itself with a peach in a wonderful exhibition of fast bowling. Crawley never looked settled, producing edges in his first three balls, and the fourth one proved lethal. The delivery took the outside edge of the right-hander's bat, grazed on his thigh pad and eventually nestled in Karun Nair's hands at first slip. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Pope's partner Ben Duckett (62 off 94 balls), with whom he added 122 runs for the second wicket, had big slices of fortunes too. He was dropped on 15 by Ravindra Jadeja at backward point off Bumrah, but the England batters were good enough to put those thorny moments behind them to cash in on the profligacy of Bumrah's colleagues in the pace department. Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, a hard length bowler, were eager to discover the mandatory fuller length England, but they overreached in their effort, often giving ample space and width for batters to make some risk-free runs. Just as the alliance was swelling, Bumrah, who was used in short, sharp bursts, returned for his third spell, and induced an inside edge off Duckett to halt England's free walk. It was also slightly perplexing to see India skipper Shubhman Gill delaying the introduction of Shardul Thakur into the attack, which eventually happened in the 34th over. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It did not give any noticeable lift to India's bowling unit, and it also watched in dejection the leg-before decision against Joe Root off Siraj was getting overturned via DRS. But that did not deter Pope as he reached 9th Test hundred with a cheeky single off Bumrah as sun-washed Headingley greeted the fourth hundred-maker in two days. However, that irresistible force of nature Bumrah returned at the right time to nick off Root to end a threatening 80-run stand for the third wicket. But before Bumrah made an instant impression, another Indian player thrilled the Leeds crowd. Pant's seventh Test hundred was soaked in brilliance and impudence. Once India resumed from overnight 359 for three, they needed Pant and Gill to carry on from last day's point. They showed intent too as the Indian captain motored onto 147, his highest score in Tests, and milked 209 runs for the fourth wicket with his deputy. Pant was at his entertaining best, starting his cavalier ways with a stunning falling paddle off spinner Bashir behind stumper Jamie Smith, a la West Indian legend Rohan Kanhai. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A six over mid-wicket off spinner Shoaib Bashir carried him to 94, and the 90s is a rather troubled territory for Pant as he was dismissed seven times in Tests on that score in his career. So, it was not really surprising to see him taking singles until he reached 99. Pant then decided not to waste too much time, and summoned that one-handed six off Bashir to go past the 100-run mark for the seventh time in his career, and the 27-year-celebrated the occasion with a perfect somersault. It was also a moment of redemption for Pant as Gavaskar had slammed his shot selection during the tour to Australia with the stinging remark 'stupid, stupid, stupid.' But on this day, the legendary batter atoned for it with the exclamation of 'superb, superb, superb!' on air. However, the dismissals of Pant and Gill gave England the opening and they crashed through, taking seven Indian wickets for 41 runs across two sessions. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Time of India
31 minutes ago
- Time of India
England defy Bumrah, Pant magic through Pope's hundred to reach 209/3 on Day 2
Leeds: Jasprit Bumrah displayed his spine-tingling genius after Rishabh Pant unfurled an audacious hundred, but England batters, led by centurion Ollie Pope , produced their own parade to reach 209 for three at the end of the second day of the first Test here Saturday. Pope (100 batting) and Harry Brook (0) were at crease when the stumps were drawn with England whittling down India's lead to 262 after the visitors made 471 in their first innings. Brook would certainly thank his stars as a pull off Bumrah, which was caught by Mohammed Siraj , was adjudged no-ball in the last over of the day. It was a sliver of example how the Indian pacer tormented the hosts' batters. England did not quite solve the Bumrah puzzle but they showed enough spunk to bat through the storm. Live Events Pope can be a lovely batter to watch in full flow, but here the Surrey man sussed up the conditions and the general quality of the attack to a nicety to tweak his batting. Once he survived a massive shout for leg-before perpetuated by Mohammed Siraj, relying mainly on his bottom hand to collect runs with cuts and dabs through point, gully regions. Pope came to the middle when Bumrah was bowling in a charged atmosphere after he consumed opener Zak Crawley (4) in the first over itself with a peach in a wonderful exhibition of fast bowling. Crawley never looked settled, producing edges in his first three balls, and the fourth one proved lethal. The delivery took the outside edge of the right-hander's bat, grazed on his thigh pad and eventually nestled in Karun Nair's hands at first slip. Pope's partner Ben Duckett (62 off 94 balls), with whom he added 122 runs for the second wicket, had big slices of fortunes too. He was dropped on 15 by Ravindra Jadeja at backward point off Bumrah, but the England batters were good enough to put those thorny moments behind them to cash in on the profligacy of Bumrah's colleagues in the pace department. Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, a hard length bowler, were eager to discover the mandatory fuller length in England, but they overreached in their effort, often giving ample space and width for batters to make some risk-free runs. Just as the alliance was swelling, Bumrah, who was used in short, sharp bursts, returned for his third spell, and he induced an inside edge off Duckett to halt England's free walk. It was also slightly perplexing to see India skipper Shubhman Gill delaying the introduction of Shardul Thakur into the attack, which eventually happened in the 34th over. The move did not give any noticeable lift to India's bowling unit, and the visitors also watched in dejection of the leg-before decision against Joe Root off Siraj overturned via DRS. But that did not deter Pope as he reached his ninth Test hundred with a cheeky single off Bumrah as sun-washed Headingley greeted the fourth hundred-maker in two days. However, Bumrah returned at the right time to nick off Root to end a threatening 80-run stand for the third wicket. But before Bumrah made an instant impression, another Indian player thrilled the Leeds crowd as Pant's seventh Test hundred was soaked in brilliance and impudence. Once India resumed from overnight 359 for three, they needed Pant and Gill to carry on from previous day's point. They showed intent too as the Indian captain motored onto 147, his highest score in Tests, and milked 209 runs for the fourth wicket with his deputy. Pant was at his entertaining best, starting his cavalier ways with a stunning falling paddle off spinner Bashir behind stumper Jamie Smith, a la West Indian legend Rohan Kanhai. A six over mid-wicket off spinner Shoaib Bashir carried him to 94, and the 90s is a rather troubled territory for Pant as he was dismissed seven times in Tests on that score in his career. So, it was not really surprising to see him taking singles until he reached 99. Pant then decided not to waste too much time, and summoned that one-handed six off Bashir to go past the 100-run mark for the seventh time in his career, and the 27-year-celebrated the occasion with a perfect somersault. It was also a moment of redemption for Pant as Gavaskar had slammed his shot selection during the tour to Australia with the stinging remark "stupid, stupid, stupid." But on this day, the legendary batter atoned for it with the exclamation of "superb, superb, superb!" on air. However, the dismissals of Pant and Gill gave England the opening and they crashed through, taking seven Indian wickets for 112 runs across two sessions.
