When I was in class 11, my world of football was only limited to my favourite player, club & national team and playing football in my locality. I was even unaware what was the league structure of football in my country, let alone being aware of teams & players. Maybe I will discuss in another post why football is so unpopular & underdeveloped in my country and how in the last 4-5 years it has begun to show signs of improvement. Coming back to the present days, having much more comprehensive knowledge of football in my country & after following matches on a regular basis, I came across a 17 yr old boy, who had already made his senior debut last year in the top division league of India wearing the jersy of Rajasthan United a newly promoted team. His Name is Gyamar Nikum. A boy studying in class 11 playing in the top division league, catching media headlines, just gave me goosebumps.
ABOUT:-
Gyamar hails from Takey Village under Kurung Kumey district in Arunachal Pradesh district. He represented Arunachal Pradesh’s U-15 sub-junior team in the National Championships. In October 2021 he made his I-League debut at the age of 16. Along with Suhail Ahmed, he became the youngest player to play in the top division of the country. He also became the 1st from Arunachal Pradesh to play in India’s top flight. In India historically people of North East have faced racism & used to get deptived of opportunities, especially in football, but changes in the system over the last decade and the emergence of ISL have brought many talents from this region including the likes of Lallianzuala Changte, Lalengmawia Ralte(Apui), etc – all young talents & talents India have never seen before with great technical abilities which is a must in modern day football.
Life at present.
While other 17 yrs kids are engaged in school, with friends & family, Gyamar have been spending time, training with Rajasthan United (his current club) to compete with adults much older than him for his position in the team and have been able to successfully able to hold his place in the squad and have emerged as a key player in his team this year . Staying away from family, with little interaction in school and studying few hours at night is not something many can do at the age of 17.
Gyamar’ Play Style.
Gyamar can play in right wing , right middle & central midfield positions. He has the an explosive ability to cut inside from the wing & take Curlers which India in her history of football only have got Lallianzuala Changte with that technical ability. But Gyamar’s curlers are more polished at 17 years of age only. He a absolutely a threat from that position . It is also worth mentioning that he ideolizes Lionel Messi who needs no Introduction and his position of play is quiet similar to Messi. Gyamar have good control on the ball and shows confidence while driblling past defenders.
Where to focus & how to care ? (MY OPINION)
Gyamar is a promising future prospect & he can set new benchmark in Indian football after Sunil Chettri at the senior level . But to achieve that he needs to work hard in some departments such a tracking back to defend, better linkup plays & more composure on the ball which are necessities for modern day wingers. He has time for that but he needs to work really hard.
On the other hand the stakeholders in Indian football should make sure he gets best facilities , diet & opportunities to hone his strengths & overcome his shortcomings. Such players will only increase the reach of market of domestic football globally , the market that concerns & interests the stakeholders. For eg Hyderabad FC has made a partnership agreement for grass-root development with Borussia Dortmund & football fans know, Dortmund’s academy is considered one of the top & prestigious in the world. So why not make some arrangements & investments to send him there for training & learning
Gyamar This Year.
After many debates , about the slow growth of Indian football , finally the Indian Footballing calender has changed this year . Durand Cup ( 2nd oldest tournament of Asia ) & Super cup have been incorporated with the 2 main leagues in the country to increase the no of games & duration of the season so that players get more game time which would be better for their development , which our National team coach (Igor Stimac) has been demanding for 3 years.
This year in Durand cup many young players , academy products came to my notice and they have impressed me. One of them is Gyamar , already have made his place in the opening lineup & playing crucial role in Rajasthan United’s attack down the Right wing. In Durand Cup he has played 3 matches and have scored 2 goals against ISL giants ATK Mohunbagan & Mumbai City FC , something no one could have imagined before the tournament.
It will be of interest to keep a track of his development. I am going to do that, will you?
Gyama's goal vs Mumbai City FC- https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxrncVc-CQDDhP3Xl5XRARl6kKWOAUp49b
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