Latest news with #JavedHussain
India Gazette
4 days ago
- Sport
- India Gazette
Rugby Premier League: Hyderabad Heroes becomes first team to make play-offs in inaugural season
Mumbai (Maharashtra)[India], June 24 (ANI): With six wins from seven games, Hyderabad Heroes become the first team to make the semi-finals in the inaugural season of the Rugby Premier League. The Hyderabad Heroes produced a scintillating display of rugby, as they went back to the top of the points table, after swatting aside the challenge of the Chennai Bulls by a scoreline of 28-7, here in Mumbai, at the Shahaji Raje Bhosale Sports Complex (Andheri Sports Complex), during Season 1 of the Rugby Premier League. 'It's exciting, that's the first goal for any team to make the playoffs. It's great that we've done it early in the league stage, and hopefully, people have seen that we have tried to manage some people and give all players the opportunity to prepare as best we can. For now it's great to be winning but it's all about preserve all the players as much as we can and then see what combinations are going to work for us in the semi-finals.' said DJ Forbes, Head Coach, Hyderabad Heroes on the qualification. In a crucial match to decide which team would first establish their spot in the semifinals, the Manuel Moreno led, Hyderabad Heroes were looking to regroup after their previous match and show why they were previously on a five-match winning streak. They dominated the Chennai Bulls across quarters, never really allowing the Bulls to push forward and ultimately winning the tie 28-7. Even though the Chennai Bulls drew their first blood, the Hyderabad Heroes almost looked untouchable, with Javed Hussain and Motu Opetai scoring a try each, and Manuel Moreno converting on both occasions. Wolfram Hacker and Terio Tamani added a try each in the final quarter, and Tamani converted both his kicks as well, giving the Hyderabad Heroes a clinical win on the night. The win will see the Heroes move up to the top spot on the points table and prove why they are the team with the most points, 202 from the matches. Hyderabad Heroes also becomes the team with the most tries after this match across the league with 32 tries (Joji Nasova and Javed Hussain lead the charge) and top the conversions table with 21 (Terio Temani has 13 conversions). 'The experience has been amazing playing alongside my teammates who are also Olympians. The environment in the dugout is really positive and very helpful, all the players are always ready to help out each other on and off the field. The results we have had on the field is a direct effect of that support. Very happy with the final score today and to get the win and we look forward to continuing this momentum.' said Sambit Pradhan, Forward, Hyderabad Heroes. While they have secured their place in the semi-finals, the Hyderabad Heroes still have three more matches to play with the Chennai Bulls and Delhi Redz, twice over the next four days to find out where the team finally places on the points table. (ANI)
India Gazette
5 days ago
- Sport
- India Gazette
Back from long-term injury, Sambit Pradhan aims for glory at Rugby Premier League
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 24 (ANI): Hyderabad Heroes are cruising in the Rugby Premier League (RPL) at the moment as they stand on top of the points table with six wins in seven games to their name and are the first team to qualify for the playoffs. The key to their success is not just the impressive performances of marquee players like Joji Nasova, Kevin Wekesa or Terio Tamani, but also Indian players like Javed Hussain and Sukumar Hembrom who are equally contributing to the team's success. Another such player in their ranks is forward Sambit Pradhan, who is a regular player for the Heroes and has featured in all of their matches. Talking about the mood and environment in his team's locker room, Sambit said as quoted by a press release from RPL, 'The atmosphere in our team is very good. Despite losing our last match (against Bengaluru Bravehearts), no one pointed out any mistakes or blamed anyone. Even our coach (DJ Forbes) held a burger party for us to lift our spirits as we discussed our plan for the matches ahead.' Sambit also highlighted the impact of foreign players on Indians and what they could learn from the seasoned internationals. He said, 'I never thought I could be playing with such big international rugby stars whom I have only seen on TV before this. They are very technically sound, they have nailed down the basics. But more than technical, they are very calm while playing and hence don't panic and make mistakes. We Indian players struggle with and to minimise our mistakes, we need to play with a level head.' 'In three to four years, with RPL, new Indian players will rise up through the ranks, improve their skills and shine on this platform. Like my teammate Javed Hussain who is doing really well and has gotten famous because of his strong performances, more players will come into the limelight,' he added. The 27-year-old hails from Adaspur, a village in Cuttack district, Odisha and comes from a family of farmers. His journey in rugby started quite late when he was studying at Biju Pattnaik College in Bhubaneswar, where he spent most of his childhood. About how his journey started, he shared, 'One of the older guys in college asked me to come and play rugby. I wasn't that interested, but he said I would get to play in a stadium, which enticed me because I had never been in one. That is how I started playing.' 'I then played the senior nationals for Odisha, and that is how my career started. In 2015, I went to the senior nationals in Bihar, where I got very serious about my game since I was the youngest in my team and wanted to prove myself,' the player added. Sambit was regularly playing in tournaments for his state and clubs however, in 2019, he got injured and left the sport for three years. 'I broke my hand while playing a tournament in Amritsar and couldn't play for three years. I got it operated on at a government hospital and was scared if I will ever be able to play rugby again. The doctors assured me that I will be able to continue which gave me a lot of confidence,' he concluded. Sambit worked hard on his recovery despite doing a part-time job at a school where he used to teach children various sports. After three years, in 2022, Sambit started playing again for the Bhubaneswar Rugby Club and has now made his way back to the elite level with the Rugby Premier League. (ANI)
Hans India
5 days ago
- Sport
- Hans India
Back from long-term injury, Sambit Pradhan of Hyderabad Heroes aims for glory at Rugby Premier League
Mumbai: Hyderabad Heroes are cruising in the Rugby Premier League (RPL) at the moment as they stand on top of the points table with six wins in seven games to their name and are the first team to qualify for the playoffs. The key to their success is not just the impressive performances of marquee players like Joji Nasova, Kevin Wekesa or Terio Tamani, but also Indian players like Javed Hussain and Sukumar Hembrom who are equally contributing to the team's success. Another such player in their ranks is forward Sambit Pradhan, who is a regular player for the Heroes and has featured in all of their matches. Talking about the mood and environment in his team's locker room, Sambit said, 'The atmosphere in our team is very good. Despite losing our last match (against Bengaluru Bravehearts), no one pointed out any mistakes or blamed anyone. Even our coach (DJ Forbes) held a burger party for us to lift our spirits as we discussed our plan for the matches ahead.' Sambit also highlighted the impact of foreign players on Indians and what they could learn from the seasoned internationals. He said, "I never thought I could be playing with such big international rugby stars whom I have only seen on TV before this. They are very technically sound, they have nailed down the basics. But more than technical, they are very calm while playing and hence don't panic and make mistakes. We Indian players struggle with and to minimise our mistakes, we need to play with a level head." "In three to four years, with RPL new Indian players will rise up through the ranks, improve their skills and shine on this platform. Like my teammate Javed Hussain who is doing really well and has gotten famous because of his strong performances, more players will come into the limelight," he added. The 27-year-old hails from Adaspur, a village in Cuttack district, Odisha and comes from a family of farmers. His journey in rugby started quite late when he was studying at Biju Pattnaik College in Bhubaneswar where he spent most of his childhood. About how his journey started, he shared, 'One of the older guys in college asked me to come and play rugby. I wasn't that interested but he said I would get to play in a stadium, which enticed me because I had never been in one. That is how I started playing.' "I then played the senior nationals for Odisha and that is how my career started. In 2015, I went to the senior nationals in Bihar where I got very serious about my game since I was the youngest in my team and wanted to prove myself." Sambit was regularly playing in tournaments for his state and clubs however, in 2019, he got injured and left the sport for three years. 'I broke my hand while playing a tournament in Amritsar and couldn't play for three years. I got it operated on at a government hospital and was scared if I will ever be able to play rugby again. The doctors assured me that I will be able to continue which gave me a lot of confidence." Sambit worked hard on his recovery despite doing a part-time job at a school where he used to teach children various sports. After three years, in 2022, Sambit started playing again for the Bhubaneswar Rugby Club and has now made his way back to the elite level with the Rugby Premier League.
News18
21-06-2025
- Sport
- News18
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
India Gazette
21-06-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
From Delhi slum to standout performances at RPL, Hyderabad Heroes' Javed Hussain has an inspiring story to tell
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], 21 June 21 (ANI): 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 Hussain said as quoted by the RPL press release. 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 GMR 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 shared. 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 the 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 GMR RPL for the money or fame, but for 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.' (ANI)
