Dubai College’s Mya Khurshid is a 12 year-old destined for big things in the sport of netball in the future. The Desert Girls Netball player took out the DASSA Netball Virtual Challenge as reward for her sharp shooting. She told Gulf Youth Sport about her future goals, proudest achievements so far and her inspirations (including a message from a Silver Ferns star!)
What I love most about netball is the teamwork, the people I’ve met, the friendships I make; your team becomes your family.
It’s so difficult to choose just 1 achievement, I’ve been so lucky to have played on so many amazing teams:
My primary school team was the first U11 Netball Youth 7’s winner at the Rugby 7’s tournament in 2018 and more recently I had the honour of joining DGNC Thunder (the top team in my club), in the Youth Premier Division 1 league finals, which they won. I was the youngest player on court and to be with the team as they won the highest accolade for a youth netball team in the Active Netball youth leagues was a real honour.
I was selected for the Dubai College High Performance Pathway last year and was due to travel to Loughborough in the UK last summer to participate in the U13 World School Games but the tournament was cancelled due to COVID.
I’ve been playing in the InterGulf U12 netball tournament from the age of 9, and was selected to play in the U12A squad last year but the tournament was unfortunately cancelled. I played in my primary school A squad and the Dubai College year 7 A squad last year. I have won netball awards for my school squads for the last 4 years. I won 2 netball awards last year in my first year at Dubai College.
My current club team DGNC Flames was the only team made up of only year 7 players to be promoted to the Active Netball Youth Premier league last year.
I just last week found out that I will be promoted within my club to play for our top club team, reigning champions, DGNC Thunder next season, which I’m very excited about and will be an incredible experience, I’ll be the youngest player on the team.
I’ve spent my whole life around netball, my mum has played socially my whole life and I was courtside from when I was a baby. I started playing when I was 5, I shoot every day. I was selected for Active netball’s U13 Elite Player Program in 2019 and in 2020 I was invited to trial for the U15 program, for which I got selected and I just completed the program for the year still aged 12, one of the youngest players in the U15 program and was awarded the Coach’s Player of the Year.
Ameliaranne Ekenasio, Silver Ferns (2019 World Cup Winners) captain, voted best player in the world, messaged me on Instagram, complimenting my play and told me to always dream high.
What I attribute all my achievements to is commitment, consistency, hard work, support from my family, being fortunate enough to play with some extremely talented players on fantastic teams, playing against so many talented players who have pushed me to become stronger but most importantly I attribute my achievements to the most amazing coaches I’ve been lucky enough to learn from. They have truly believed in me, inspired me, pushed me and helped me try to be the best player I can be. I feel blessed to have worked with so many amazing coaches and what means the most is they all still follow my journey even if they’re not currently coaching me or even those that have left the UAE, they still believe in me and celebrate my successes with me, I wouldn’t be the player I am today without each and every one of them and I know I can still approach any one of them for advice or support, they have made me the player I am today.
I can’t wait for school tournaments and competitions to start again. I’m also so excited UAE Netball has returned and I aspire to play for the U17 squad 1 day.