Chandigarh
22 October 2024
DIVYA AZAD
Minerva Academy’s rich vein of talent continues to propel Indian football forward, with four promising players earning call-ups to the U-17 Indian National Team for the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers.
KH Azlaan Shah, Hemneichung Lunkim, Karish Soram, and Chingtham Renin Singh have made the cut, demonstrating Minerva’s unwavering commitment to nurturing the country’s next generation of football stars.
India are placed in group D in the all important qualifiers, with the tough tests of Brunei, Turkmenistan and hosts Thailand ahead of them.
The 4 talented youngsters were also a part of India’s recent U-17 SAFF Championship success and they together won the recently concluded SAFF Championship in Bhutan, with their contributions to the team.
This quartet’s selection is a testament to Minerva’s successful development model, which has consistently supplied talented players to India’s national teams across various age groups.
Renin Singh, a seasoned campaigner, returns to the national fold after helping India also win the U-16 SAFF Championship a year ago under Ishfaq Ahmed’s guidance.
Hemneichung Lunkim, the prolific goal-scorer, stole the show in the recently concluded U-17 SAFF Championship, netting three crucial goals, including a semi-final strike. His impressive performances earned him the ‘super sub’ tag scoring 3 goals in 30 minutes up to the Semi-Final stage.
Karish Soram, initially scouted by Minerva and now playing his trade with ISL side Punjab FC, adds valuable experience to the team, having won the SAFF U-16 title last year.
Azlaan Shah, part of Minerva’s ambitious 2034 World Cup batch project, becomes the first from this talented group to break into the national team.
Minerva Academy takes immense pride in their players’ achievements, and their selection is a testament to Minerva’s dedicated coaching staff, world-class facilities, and unwavering commitment to developing Indian football talent.
As Minerva continues to produce talented players, they wish all the very best to their boys and the Indian National Team for the crucial Qualifier matches, the first of which is to be held on the 23rd of October, against Brunei.
