Hailing from Kundli village in Sonipat, Haryana, Mohit Khatri was introduced to rugby at a very young age by his elder brother Vikas.
Kolkata, July 29: The lush green farmlands of Haryana are known for producing an assembly line of world class wrestlers and kabaddi stars.
However, in recent years, the ‘land of pehlwans’ has given birth to star performers in another power packed sport – rugby. One of the brightest of these is Team India star Mohit Khatri.
Hailing from Kundli village in the Sonipat district of Haryana, Mohit was introduced to rugby by his elder brother Vikas Khatri – a former Team India captain – when he was in class 6.
“I used to play football with my friends during the weekends. One day, my brother decided to take me with him to rugby practice,” Mohit recounted.
For the pre-teen Mohit, his tryst with rugby turned out to be a case of love at first sight. “At first, I did not even know the game properly – its rules and format. I just used to enjoy playing the game. Soon, rugby became a daily habit. I never realised when I fell in love with the game, when I started to play at the professional level and when I started wearing the India jersey.”
His love for the game eventually took Mohit to a rugby club called Delhi Hurricanes in the national capital where his elder brother Vikas used to train.
“My journey in rugby started from there. The coaches at Delhi Hurricanes taught me the basics of the game and I gradually started playing at the club and state levels,” Mohit said.
His initial forays at the competitive level did not bring too much success for Mohit as he endured successive defeats in multiple tournaments. These defeats eventually started to hurt his prestige and those of his teammates which sparked a turnaround in his career.
“Eventually, these defeats started to rankle in our minds. We got fed up with losing and realised that we need to work harder in order to improve. As a result, I won my first medal – gold at the School Nationals in 2015,” he said.
Things got rolling from there and 2015 turned out to be a breakout year for Mohit as he represented Haryana at the state level before earning his maiden call-up to the Indian team.
“Both SAI and the national rugby federation has helped me a lot. I have got a job in the postal department through the sports quota thanks to the government and the federation. SAI meanwhile, is sponsoring the Indian team by providing excellent training facilities, boarding and diet so that we can perform to the best of our abilities while wearing the national jersey,” he said.
Meanwhile, Team India coach Paul Albaladejo is confident that rugby has bright future in the country, asserting that players like Mohit are crucial to his plans.
“Mohit is a very skilful player with lots of pace. His leadership skills on the field is crucial, specially against superior opponents or when the team is facing a difficult situation,” the Frenchman said.
With the Indian team gearing up for the Asia Rugby Sevens Series 2026, Mohit is upbeat about the future.
“We still have to improve in order to catch up with the big boys in Asia, such as Japan and China. However, with the federation coming up with initiatives like the Rugby Premier League and SAI providing us with top class facilities, we are slowly but surely closing the gap,” he asserted.
“My aim is to qualify for the Olympics. Wearing the national jersey at the biggest sporting spectacle on the planet and hearing the national anthem being played is the biggest high that a sportsman can experience.”
For now, Albaladejo is completely focused on the Asia Rugby Sevens Series 2026, which begins in Suzhou, China on August 29.
“India does not have a very strong culture. But once the national team starts doing well, specially in the bigger tournaments, the game will become more popular,” he said.
“Rugby culture will start to develop once we can hold our own against the big boys.”
