Lallianzuala Chhangte, Indian footballer
He also gave the boy his first boot, writing the prologue to a story that would see him train with Liverpool’s youth academy, and, eventually, become the Indian national team’s best player.
The start was not easy. The puny second son of a teacher couple was not the best of his peers during his academy days. But, the Cristiano Ronaldo fan took inspiration from his idol’s work ethic and put in the hard yards with the dream of playing for the national team and the biggest clubs in the country.
His efforts bore fruit, and how. The 27-year-old Mumbai City winger has been named the All India Football Federation’s men’s player of the year for two consecutive years (2022-23 and 2023-24). He joined City in 2021-22, initially on loan, and played in 13 matches without scoring or assisting. If there were concerns, they evaporated quickly in the 2022-23 season. Chhangte scored 10 and assisted six as City stormed to the ISL title. He was the club’s top scorer with 18 goals in 32 games in all competitions (nine assists). In 2023-24, though he scored seven goals and provided six assists in the 22 league games, City were only able to finish second. But, his inspired showing in the play-offs (three goals in three games) helped the club win the ISL Cup. He had 11 goals and seven assists in all competitions. Ahead of the 2024-25 season, City made Chhangte its captain.
He is only the second Indian, apart from Sunil Chhetri, to win the Hero of the League award in the ISL (202223). Known for his dribbling and incredible pace, Chhangte is lovingly called The Mizo Flash. In fact, he is among the fastest football players in the world today—his top speed in 2023-24, 35.18kmph, comfortably puts him in the top 50 (Tottenham Hotspur’s Dutch defender Micky van de Ven was first, for the season, with 37.38kmph).
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 15, 2024 من THE WEEK India.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 15, 2024 من THE WEEK India.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Forging the future
As the curtain falls on 2024, I take pride in the extraordinary milestones achieved under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This year stands as a testament to the Modi government's resolve to forge a resilient and forward-looking Bharat. From groundbreaking advancements in infrastructure to visionary global initiatives, these efforts resonate deeply with the vision of Viksit Bharat.
Our strange democracy
Abraham Lincoln is lauded as among the very best presidents the US ever had: the statesman par excellence successfully steered the nation through the devastating and perilous years of the American civil war. Not only did Lincoln manage to keep his country united, he also ensured the passage of the 13th amendment to the US constitution, which abolished slavery.
Five years of post-pandemic fashion
It has been five years since we discovered what Covid-19 was, and five years since it disrupted the world forever. The World Health Organization activated their emergency systems on January 1, 2020, and informed the world by January 4, 2020. By the end of that week, they had set guidelines for various countries to follow. Comparable to the Spanish flu of 1918, more than 7 million people have died of Covid according to official data. Unofficially, no one has an idea. WHO has just this week asked China to provide critical data to understand the virus's origins as a “moral and scientific imperative”.
Community spirit
Rhythm of Dammam opens a window to the world of African-origin Siddis of Uttara Kannada
'Breaking' down a scandal
Society Girl is not just a case study of a high-profile death in Pakistan but also a stark commentary on media trials
Progress card
Jasmine Shah's book tells you what the AAP has achieved in Delhi in the last 10 years
SENSE IN NONSENSE
In his latest book of poetry, Ruskin Bond is at his funniest
Get ready for Trump bump
The ‘butterfly effect’ is a beautiful, mysterious metaphor of the planet’s interconnectedness.
QUIET FLOWS THE FAITH
The melding of an ancient amorphous faith and the latest science; of an antique tradition and new practices; ways of life older than memory and new expressions is happening at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh.
Trash to treasure
How a weed-choked Dal Lake spurred Maninder Singh's journey to become a waste management visionary
