Mubassina Mohammed: Lakshadweep's Rising Star in Track and Field

A Promising Journey Begins

Mubassina Mohammed's family, particularly her mother Dubina Bano, always believed in her potential to excel in athletics. However, they were unaware of how swiftly she would embrace the challenge ahead.

At just 19 years old, Mubassina from Minicoy Island in Lakshadweep is set to represent India in the women's long jump final at the South Asian Senior Athletics Championships taking place in Ranchi this Sunday.

Her journey from a modest 200m dirt track in Minicoy to becoming the first Indian athlete from Lakshadweep to compete internationally in track and field is truly inspiring.

Early Inspirations and Achievements

Running seemed to be in Mubassina's blood, as her father, Mohammed, who runs a small tea shop and harvests coconuts, participated in local marathons for prize money. Her mother envisioned her as a track star. In 2015, while still in Class V, Mubassina won a 6km mini marathon, outpacing adults in an open competition and earning a gold medal along with a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh.

"My mother believed in my abilities, just like my father who also ran marathons," Mubassina reflected on her formative years.

However, her path was not without obstacles. She engaged in various events, from 15km races to 600m local competitions, even trying her hand at javelin. In 2017, she earned a bronze medal at the South Zone Competition. Despite her early triumphs, consistent training proved challenging. She initially had to ferry from Minicoy to Kavaratti Island to train with her coach, Ahmed Javad Hassan.

Overcoming Challenges

To facilitate her training, the entire Mohammed family relocated to Kavaratti for two years. Yet, challenges persisted. "We had to share the track with football players, which often disrupted my training. Rainy weather also halted our sessions," she recalled.

During this time, she continued to participate in various athletics events. Three years ago, she began focusing on the heptathlon. At the 2022 Youth Asia Championships in Uzbekistan, she won a silver medal in heptathlon and a bronze in long jump.

She left Lakshadweep twice for specialized training—first at Calicut Academy and then in Trivandrum—but returned home due to homesickness.

A New Chapter in Training

"I struggled with the food and missed home, so I came back. Two years ago, my coach Ahmed Javad Hassan informed me that Robert Bobby George wanted to train me, but I was hesitant to leave Lakshadweep," she shared.

She also faced personal fears, including her first flight to attend a junior trial in Odisha in 2021. "I was very scared that day," she laughed, now accustomed to flying.

Training in Karnataka

Transitioning from a hesitant trainee, Mubassina has recently joined the Anju Bobby Sports Foundation in Bengaluru, where she has been training with Robert, affectionately known as Bobby, for the past two months.

A Bright Future Ahead

Bobby recognizes that Mubassina is unique but believes she has the potential to shine on the global stage. Their first interaction occurred during the Youth Nationals in Bhopal in 2022, where Mubassina jumped 5.73m, securing a gold medal and surpassing Bobby's trainees.

"Officials from Lakshadweep reached out to me about Mubassina's potential. Initially, she was reluctant to leave the island," Bobby explained.

"Earlier this year, she contacted me again, and we welcomed her into our program. She now trains with a group that includes Shaili Singh and others. While she has shown promise, we must be cautious, as we've lost talented athletes in the past due to burnout. I'm thrilled to be part of her journey—it's rare to see someone rise from such a small island to this level," he added.

The results are already evident; earlier this month, Mubassina achieved a personal best of 6.36m at the Indian Open U-23 Athletics Competition, winning the gold medal.