Brothers off the turf, enemies on it — Sayyad, Aakib face each other for MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup title
When the Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) takes on the Indian Navy Hockey team in the final of the MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup in Chennai on Sunday, there will be a mini-battle ensuing in the Rahim household.
Cousins Sayyad Niyaz Rahim and Aakib Rahim Arif will captain their respective sides, RSPB and the Navy, in the summit clash of one of India’s oldest hockey tournaments.
This isn’t the first instance of the two brothers going head to head on the grand stage. Aaqib and his Navy side triumphed over Sayyad in the Nehru Cup semifinal in 2022, before the elder brother settled the scores in the same tournament last year.
Sayyad says there will be no love lost between the two on the turf on Sunday.
“We may be brothers outside, but on the pitch we are enemies. Both of us aren’t going to give each other an inch,” Sayyad says.
RELATED: MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup 2025: Railways, Navy set up summit clash
Sayyad and Aaqib were born in Nagpur to brothers Mumtazur Rahim and Arif Rahim, who both played football and hockey for the Maharashtra Police side.
The Orange City is not particularly known for producing hockey talents, and the brothers had to look elsewhere to make a career out of the sport.
“There is no infrastructure in Nagpur. There is no astroturf or even grass turf for us to play. Whoever wants to play the game has to move outside,” Sayyad lamented.
After playing hockey through the junior levels in Nagpur, Sayyad joined the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Regional Centre in Mumbai from 2007 to 2010, which opened up the pathway for him to join the Railways, where he has been playing since.
Sayyad’s career path also opened up a door for his younger brother, who promptly joined SAI Mumbai and found his way into the Navy, where he has spent more than eight years.
The two brothers have also been very close to international call-ups, honing their skills at national team camps. Sayyad was part of the national probables before the COVID-19-induced break ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. Aaqib, on the other hand, is fresh off participating in a 54-member National Coaching Camp under head coach Craig Fulton that was held in Bengaluru in April.
“I got to learn a lot in that one week. I understood where my weaknesses are and what I should work on,” Aaqib said.
“The way we trained was entirely different. What we do on a day-to-day basis is enough for domestic hockey but not for international,” he added.
Aaqib was also part of the Hyderabad Toofans squad for the Hockey India League in 2024, and despite not playing a single game, he says he gained an abundance of knowledge from international stars Gonzalo Peillat (Germany) and Arthur de Sloover (Belgium).
Sayyad hopes his performances this season can help him secure a place in the franchise-based league, alongside Aaqib and his fiancée, Priyanka Wankhede, who plays for the Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers.
“The HIL is an important tournament for the players. You have the money and the fame, but you are also being watched live by the Indian seniors and selectors. The auction will be in December. I hope that someone will show interest,” Sayyad said.
Sunday’s Gold Cup final will bring to an end the unblemished record of one of the two teams left in the competition.
While Sayyad will be eyeing a second straight title with RSPB in the season-opening tournament, Aaqib will be looking to taste success with the Navy side in its first final appearance.