Amarjit Singh Kiyam, the U-17 skipper who leads by example
What's the story
The FIFA U-17 World Cup is set to kick off in three days and the India U-17 team is ready to take on USA in their first match on 6th October.
The first squad member, who would take the field in India's first ever FIFA U-17 World Cup outing, will be Amarjit Singh Kiyam, the 16-year-old Indian skipper. Let's know more about him.
Bio
Humble beginnings
Amarjit Singh Kiyam was born in Thoubal, a small town located 25 kms away from Imphal, Manipur.
Speaking about his modest beginnings Amarjit said that his father, a farmer and mother, a fish vendor, always encouraged and supported him to play football.
He took to football at the age of five, following his elder brother Umakanta who was already into the sport then.
Development
Training in Chandigarh
After initial training under Diven Singh, who is also the father of U-17 teammate Jeakon Singh, the two youngsters went to Chandigarh in 2011 to train at CFA (Chandigarh Football Academy). Thus began the journey of Amarjit.
In 2015, during one of the exposure trips to Goa, he caught the attention of national selectors and began training with the AIFF academy ever since.
Barca fan
Obsessed with football
Amarjit has been described by his coaches at CFA as a leader by example. They say, "He is not vocal or aggressive towards his teammates but fosters an environment of inclusivity and motivation."
The 16-year old has no other interests apart from football. He is a big Barcelona FC fan and idolizes Andres Iniesta.
Baichung Bhutia is his favorite player of all time.
Information
A unanimous choice for captaincy
When coach Luis Norton de Matos asked the U-17 team to chose their captain, 26 of the 27 boys chose Amarjit as their one of the top three choices and he became a unanimous choice to lead the side.