Three young footballers from Manipur’s Kangpokpi district, who recently helped Minerva Football Academy win the Gothia Cup 2026 in Sweden and the Helsinki Cup 2026 in Finland, have pledged to represent only India and appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to strengthen Indian football so that the country can qualify for the FIFA World Cup.
The players—Thangsanglen Kipgen, Lalvanghao Haokip and Seiminsang Khongsai—were felicitated by the Kangpokpi Christian Church (KCC) during a special thanksgiving service organised by its Board of Christian Education.
The programme was attended by church leaders, parents, football enthusiasts, youth and members of the local community, who congratulated the trio for their achievements on the international stage.
Expressing gratitude after being honoured, the footballers thanked the church, their families and supporters for standing by them throughout their journey.
“We are deeply thankful to our church, our families and everyone who believed in us. This overwhelming love motivates us to work even harder and bring more laurels to our country,” the players said.
Speaking about their future ambitions, all three footballers said their biggest dream is to represent the Indian senior men’s football team and play in the FIFA World Cup.
When asked whether they would consider playing for another country if given the opportunity, the trio gave a clear and unanimous reply.
“No. We want to play for India,” they said.
The young footballers also appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide greater support for the development of football in the country.
“Please help Indian football grow stronger so that India can one day play in the FIFA World Cup,” they said.
Thangsanglen Kipgen, popularly known as “India’s Neymar Junior”, said Brazilian football star Neymar Jr. has been his greatest inspiration. Lalvanghao Haokip and Seiminsang Khongsai said Argentine legend Lionel Messi inspired them to pursue football and dream of playing at the highest level.
During the felicitation programme, the families of the three players thanked Minerva Football Academy founder and coach Ranjit Bajaj for identifying and nurturing the talent of the young footballers and providing them with opportunities to compete in international tournaments.
Former Kuki-Zo actress Sana Khongsai also praised Bajaj’s contribution to Indian football and urged the Government of India to provide greater institutional support for the sport so that more young players can develop into world-class footballers.
The thanksgiving service concluded with special prayers and blessings for the three footballers as they continue their pursuit of representing India and achieving success at the highest level of international football.
The recent victories at the Gothia Cup and Helsinki Cup have brought recognition to the young players from Manipur and highlighted the growing football talent emerging from the Northeast, a region that has consistently produced several prominent footballers for the country.
