From a slum dweller to being Heroes’ star performer!

From a slum dweller to being Heroes’ star performer! Javed Hussain’s rise from a humble background in New Delhi to becoming Hyderabad Heroes’ star in the GMR Rugby Premier League is a story of resilience, talent, and inspiring determination By VV Subrahmanyam Updated On - 21 June 2025, 06:31 PM Hyderabad: It has been a fabulous journey from the ordinary to the centre stage of the inaugural GMR Rugby Premier League in Mumbai for Javed Hussain of Hyderabad Heroes, which has won all four matches to top the points table with 15 points. With four tries and 20 points to his name, Javed has clearly emerged as the league’s best-performing Indian and is also ranked seventh overall in the ongoing league’s 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,” says Javed, player of the match against Mumbai Dreamers, in a chat with Telangana Today. “When I played my first match, I was not sure how it would go. 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,” Javed explained. Javed, who hails from a very humble background in Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, has a peculiar story about how he got into a sport like rugby. “We used to live in jhuggis (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,” he said. Javed plays every match with his hand taped with ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’ and a heart drawn on it. “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 it to me. I am very grateful to them,” a sentimental Javed said. “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 played, but I didn’t understand the sport and was scared of the older kids, so I didn’t want to play,” Javed said. “I started playing because the coaches told me they would give me a ‘Tiger’ biscuit packet after training. For those biscuits, I got greedy and started playing,” he said. “I am here in the RPL for experience and exposure, not just for money. 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 said. Javed is clearly enjoying the company of some illustrious names in the Heroes team, including Olympic medallists like Joji Nasova and Terio Tamani from Fiji, and global stars like his Spanish captain Manu Moreno. Sharing a locker room with them is the kind of exposure invaluable for a budding rugby player, especially under coach DJ Forbes, the former captain of the All Blacks Sevens team. “I don’t have any pressure from my coach, and he is the best person 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 said.