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Nazrin, 16, transitions effortlessly from a football goal to a badminton court.

Nazrin Farza used to listen to her father Rafeek Mohammad talk a lot as a child about his time as a goalie for Reserve Bank of India and then Mohammedan Sporting FC. She first trained as a goalkeeper before switching to badminton since Rafeek, who participated in the 2003 Federation Cup final against Mahindra United, wanted his only daughter to be a football goalie.

She awaited her father’s call after his meetings on Friday after the 16-year-old from Kerala defeated Pratishtha Rana of Rajasthan 15-4, 15-9 to advance to the U-19 category’s third qualification round of the 29th Yonex-Sunrise Smt Krishna Khaitan Memorial All India Junior Ranking Selection Tournament at Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex.

“I chose to be a goalkeeper because I was raised hearing and reading about my father’s national-level success as a goalkeeper.” After more than five years of playing for Ananthapuri Football Club, my father started forcing me to play tennis, swimming, and badminton. He assured me that he would support me no matter what when we chose to move to badminton, and he asks me to inform him anytime I win a match whether he is attending bank meetings or not, according to Nazrin.

Before Nazrin entered the TOSS Academy and decided to concentrate on badminton, her mother Seema Refeek would drop her off at the Ananthapuri Football Club during her early years as a player.