Mumbai striker Rehman, who lost his best years in a road accident in 2008, lit up MHA yesterday with a 5-goal show
Watching Osaf ur Rehman masterfully maneuver the ball through the hockey turf, it is hard to believe that the Mumbai forward could barely walk two years ago.
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Rehman, who was only six months ago relieved of an iron rod fitted in his right leg after being injured in a road accident, scored five goals in his team’s 14-2 win over Dadra and Nagar Haveli in a Pool-B round-robin league match of the IHF West Zone Senior National Championship at the Mumbai Hockey Association (MHA) stadium in Churchgate yesterday.
As a teenager Rehman was considered by many as a future India prospect. He was part of — the senior development team, Indian team’s probable list for the Doha Asian Games 2006, a stand-by for the 2004-05 Doha Asian Games, and also in many other senior national camps. But an accident in 2008 left the Bhopal lad bed-ridden for six months and kept him out of the game for a further two years.
Rehman (24) finally made a comeback to the sport last year and he is keen to revive his hockey career. “The accident in 2008-09 almost finished my career. A drunk auto driver hit my bike and injured my leg. I wasn’t sure if I would ever get back on the hockey turf. But, I kept the faith in myself and that helped me comeback,” said Rehman, who is currently employed with Western Railway in the signal and telecommunication department as a helper. u00a0
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