SRINAGAR: Not far from the Friday rush at the Hazratbal shrine, Qudsia Altaf, 23, adjusts her bright red cap in the lush green fields of Kashmir University . With six footballs at her feet, she rattles off names as she essays the kicks.
"Haider, Ilyas, Faizan, yahan aajao beta. Thoda gap rakho. Warm up. Phir at least five times pass karo," Qudsia calls out. This has been her daily routine from 3.30 pm to 6.30pm for the past few months.
Last year, when the Valley saw clashes between security forces and mobs, Qudsia left her civil engineering dream to do her bit to help youth.
She then enrolled at the
National Institute of Sports
in Patiala to train herself as a
football coach
, a sport she has loved and played since 2007.Nursing a regret that she could never represent India despite playing at district and state levels, Qudsia now wants to take her football team to an international event.
"My dream is to see these boys represent India at international events. There's a bright chance for them to make their country proud," Qudsia told TOI.
"The boys who come to me want to do well for their state and country," she said.
She has decided to keep her academic pursuits with another bachelor's degree in interior designing, and is thrilled with her new job as a coach at J&K State Sports Council.
As part of her new sports policy, chief minister Mehbooba Mufti has taken Qudsia as football coach for the under-14 and under-17 girls and boys teams.
According to the policy, she will get paid Rs 5,000 per month to coach the youngsters.
Qudsia is part of 198 such coaches for different sports, such as athletics, hockey, volleyball, basketball, being recruited as part of an agreement between the state government and the Centre under PM's special package of Khelo India programme.
Being a girl, Qudsia knows the perils of breaking the glass ceiling. But she is ready to take on the challenges.
"I am a disciplined coach. I am glad that my father, who taught me mountaineering, has fully supported me. I will fulfil my responsibilities. I speak to these young footballers strictly in Urdu or English. They respect me and win rewards when they play good or win local championships," Qudsia said.
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Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.Rohan Dua is an Assistant Editor with Times of India. As an itine...
Read MoreRohan Dua is an Assistant Editor with Times of India. As an itinerant reporter, he has walked a marathon from rustic farms to idyllic terrains across Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh to report extensively on the filial politics, village triumphs and palace intrigues. He likes to sneak into, snoop and sniff out offices for investigative scoops, some of which led to breakthrough probes in the Railgate, Applegate, AW chopper scam, IPL fixing and drug scam. His stories nailed Pakistan's involvement with damning evidence in two Punjab terror attacks at Pathankot and Gurdaspur.
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