Mizo boy Fela, part of U-15 national team, hopes to make it big in Indian Football

Tucked away in the far northeast of the country, from the town of Lunglei in Mizoram, a young 14-year-old Real Madrid fan had dreams of his own, of seeing his name on a well-earned jersey of the Indian national team.

In the month of April 2018, the dreams of TC Vanlalruatfela, the young boy from Lunglei, inched a step towards reality when he became a part of the Tata Trusts Centre of Excellence (CoE) for sports, which was established in Aizawl.

The CoE was initiated with the vision of seeking out young talent from the northeastern states who could be the future generations of Indian football, while also providing for them the opportunity to continue their academic pursuits. It was an aim towards embarking on the pursuit of excellence.

Even before Vanlalruatfela, fondly known as Fela, formally became a part of the CoE, his speed and agility had caught the experienced eyes of the likes of Bitan Singh, who took over as Senior Assistant Coach at the CoE. While Fela started out as a winger, his excellent control over the ball, and eye for the goal seemed better suited for the position of a striker. Under the guidance of Bitan Singh, Fela took to his new position like a well-fitted glove.

In the friendly matches that the CoE squad played, ahead of the Mizoram U-15 League, Fela was among the highest goal scorers. Up until his call-up to the national team, he maintained his consistent performance throughout his stint in the Mizoram U-15 League.

Even though his Mizoram U-15 League campaign was cut short for national duty, Fela, in only 8 matches, still got 5 goals to his name while also assisting in 8 more. Just as the youngster quickly learnt to fit into the role of a striker, he is no less when it comes to other aspects of his life.

While being one of the top goal-scorers among his peers, he also secured the first position in his school exams. The extra effort that he puts in to maintain an equilibrium in his life beyond football pitch has not been lost on those around him.

Coach Bitan Singh, has often found him poring over books after dinner when most of the others take the little window between dinner time and bedtime as an opportunity to let their hair down.

“All the CoE boys should draw inspiration from Fela’s discipline and take a leaf out of his book. Be it on the field or off, Fela’s focus and sincerity are without a doubt worth emulating.

"If he keeps this sincerity alive, I really do believe that he can become a valuable asset for India, good enough to be a second Jeje, a second Sunil Chhetri but most importantly, a first Vanlalruatfela,” said Bitan Singh, while also stressing on how the Mizoram boy had gifted the CoE with one of its proudest moment.

Fela along with team-mates living the TC Vanlalruatfela way.

Bitan Singh’s words soon came true as it soon became time for Fela to venture out on farther shores after making his mark on home turf in Aizawl. In the month of October, Fela touched a major milestone in his life by breaking into the U-15 Indian national team and represented the nation in Nepal in the U-15 SAFF Cup.

But simply being part of the playing 11 of the national team did not satiate the hunger that was burning in the 14-year-old. Fela scored two goals for India during their SAFF Cup journey. His debut goal for India came against Pakistan, which resulted in a 1-2 score-line in favour of Pakistan, while his second goal against Nepal earned India a 0-1 victory as well as the third position in the tournament.

“Walking on to the field, representing India while wearing the national team jersey was, honestly, what I considered to be a pipe dream. It’s only because of the kind of training I received at the CoE that I could realise that dream so early in life.

"Being here at the national camp, I could adjust so easily because of the kind of systematic life that my coaches at the CoE have inculcated in me. Playing for India, scoring for India, and getting to live my dream- I owe it all to them and even though being part of the national squad has been surreal, I can’t wait to go back to live that life again,” said Fela, warmly.

As it turns out, despite all seriousness and hard work, Fela is also quite the entertainer. Carrying a piece of home with him at the CoE, Fela’s best friend away from his football boots, is his guitar that his mother had gifted him when he turned 10 years old. Beyond books and practice sessions, Fela’s musical skills also keep the mood light among his fellow squad members of the CoE.

Before becoming a part of the CoE family, Fela during his days as a left winger, while helping Lunglei win the HPC Championship, an intra-district tournament held in Lunglei District, had missed making the cut into the U-15 National team.

However, the spirit of a disciplined sportsman, far from abandoning him, motivated him to pull his socks up and try harder. Soon after, Fela trusted the process at the CoE and now sports the number 12 jersey for the Indian national football team.

He hopes to don the senior national team jersey one day.