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Imphal boy Annaroy Soibam joins Odisha FC youth team

Soibam impressed scouts from the club who were at hand in Mumbai during the tournament which was meant to identify future talent.

Annaroy Soibam

Bengaluru, August 8: Annaroy Soibam, who was captain of the Unique Model Academy, Imphal, Sub Junior (Under-14) boys team that won the recent Reliance Foundation Youth Sports (RFYS) National Championships has earned a call-up to the Indian Super League (ISL) outfit Odisha FC's youth team.

Soibam, who won the Golden Boot at the championships for scoring 11 goals in five matches, and the Golden Ball for being the best player in the tournament, impressed scouts from the club who were at hand in Mumbai during the tournament to identify upcoming talent.

"I'm very excited to be a part of Odisha FC," said Soibam.

"It's a great opportunity for me at this stage of my career and I'll try to do my best for the team."

"I was very happy to participate in a competition as professional as RFYS. It gave young players like me a chance to showcase my talent and play against the very best players from across the county," he added.

Soibam's unmistakable ability was on display throughout the tournament in January at the Reliance Corporate Park in Mumbai, culminating in his man of the match performance in the final against Progress High School from Goa.

Once his team had taken a dominant 3-0 lead and virtually sealed the title in the first half itself, Soibam produced some magic of his own with a rasping left-footer after motoring past a hapless defender for the team's final goal in a 4-0 sweep. In every match of the competition, Soibam made life difficult for defence line-ups with his eye-catching speed and ball awareness, showing himself to be equally adept at scoring with either foot.

"We're a very pleased that Annaroy is getting the chance so early in his journey to be part of an excellent professional set-up such as Odisha FC," an RFYS spokesperson said.

"At the Odisha club youth set up, we'll provide all facilities and a professional pathway," said Odisha FC coach Sandeep Alhan.

"The recruits can train with us in all footballing aspects, like technical, tactical, psychological and physical activities. After this training they can aspire to reach a higher level such as joining our senior team and play for the country."

(Source: ISL Media)

Story first published: Saturday, August 8, 2020, 14:57 [IST]
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