How Mizoram became a powerhouse of Indian football

Mizoram football legend Shylo Malsawmtluanga coaching young players. (Shail Desai)
Mizoram football legend Shylo Malsawmtluanga coaching young players. (Shail Desai)

Summary

Mizoram’s footballers are defying the odds, rising from humble beginnings to make their mark in India’s top clubs. Lounge takes an in-depth look at the rise of the state's grassroots football

About five years ago, the Fanai household was split down the middle. The parents wanted their youngest child, Lalremtluanga Fanai, then aged 15 years, to chase an education and get a government job. On the other hand their boy harboured secret ambitions of playing professional football, egged on by his elder brother. 

Fanai kicked his first ball while growing up in the Bawngkawn neighbourhood of Aizawl, idolising the current India international, Lallianzuala Chhangte, whom he had seen on television. His father worked at the local market; his mother sold vegetables. Through football, Fanai wanted to change his family’s life.

Last season, Fanai, 20, made his senior debut for Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League (ISL). This year, the defensive midfielder has missed just two games, firmly establishing himself as an integral member of the team.

According to a report, Mapping Our Minutes, that assessed Indian football between 2014 and 2023, Mizo footballers comprised 13.41% of the player pool (senior national team, India U-23, U-20 and U-17, ISL and I-League), the second highest after Manipur. In terms of debuts, Mizos accounted for 2.34% of the total minutes in the ISL in 2015-16, which soared to 31.38% in 2022-23—the highest among all states. When it comes to the national team, four Mizo players were part of the squad during the last international friendly against Malaysia in November. 

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Over the last few years, the state with the second-lowest population (around 1.2 million) has churned out some of the top footballing talent in the country and in numbers. But this wasn’t always the case.

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“Savun Hampuar", football in Mizo, has been a passion chased by locals for over a century. “Football in Mizoram took off in the 1920s. A number of young men who served the British army in France during World War I brought the game back and introduced it to their friends," says John Zothansanga, a journalist with the Aizawl-based daily, Vanglaini. 

It soon transformed into every community’s favourite past-time, though in a state where a patch of flat land is a relative luxury. It’s how the hill state gets its name—“Mi" as in people, “Zo" for a high place such as a hill and “Ram" for land. Chhangte recalls playing a lot of five-a-side football during his younger days since they simply didn’t have a big ground back home in Zohnuai in Lunglei district. 

That didn’t stop inter-village tournaments continuing to draw spectators. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that football had a purpose—that of earning livelihoods. Teams such as Mizoram Police and public works department contracted players for a season, handing permanent appointments to a few who did well. 

Aizawl FC players.
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Aizawl FC players. (Shail Desai)

“My father was the first captain of Mizoram police and I used to watch a lot of games at Lammual ground in the centre of Aizawl," says Lalnghinglova “Tetea" Hmar, president of the Mizoram Football Association. “It was the only form of entertainment we had. Assam Rifles was the dominant team. When Mizoram Police beat them, it raised the profile of the game. Footballers like K. Kawla and Zohminga Zote became household names," he adds.

Besides government jobs, consistent performances brought instant rewards from rival clubs. “The transfer system was quite interesting. I recall a few players who gave up jobs with Mizoram Police to switch clubs for big money. Another player agreed to move after they bought him a taxi," says Hmingthana Zadeng, sporting director at Aizawl FC. 

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But that’s as far as progress would go. Most department sides shut shop over time. A few private clubs like TBL FC that Zadeng captained in the 1990s, disbanded after a few seasons. Playing professional football outside the state was never a consideration. Tucked away in a corner of the country, Mizo footballers weren’t noticed, until Shylo “Mama" Malsawmtluanga first hit the mainstream.

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Mama and his friends didn’t have much growing up. When they couldn’t afford a football, they bundled together old clothes to create a makeshift ball. After spotting his talent in the streets of Hnahthial, his hockey-playing elder brother brought him to Aizawl for better prospects. Mama’s life changed after the Subroto Cup in 1998 where he was spotted by Tata Football Academy (TFA) scouts. 

“Everybody loves football in Mizoram, but the community is closely knit, so nobody wanted to leave the state to play. I wanted to change that and joined TFA. It was difficult to be away from home. I didn’t speak Hindi or English, the food was different. People laughed when I told them of my dream, but I knew I wanted to make a career in football," Mama says.

By 2002, he had graduated from the academy and was picked up by East Bengal, the only Mizo player at the time in the national league. The turning point in his career came when he scored in the Kolkata Derby against Mohun Bagan.

“My hostel was full of Mama’s photos, boys worshipped him. Back then, the best thing that could happen to a footballer was a government job. But when Mama joined East Bengal, a headline , ‘Boy from Mizoram earns as much as a senior government officer’. If not for Mama, I don’t think so many Mizos would have played at the highest level," Zothansanga says. 

Over the next few years, players such as Jerry Zirsanga, Malsawma Robert Lalthlamuana and P.C. Lalawmpuia joined TFA and went on to play at Indian clubs. It forced scouts to take notice of Mizo players.

“There were talented players back home, but they didn’t have the chance to showcase their skills since the structure was missing in Mizoram," Tetea says. All that changed in 2012 with the start of the Mizoram Premier League (MPL).

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As a young, homegrown player, Ricky Lallawmawma never received formal training. But his qualities as a defender were well known in Durtlang in Aizawl and it took him to Gauhati Town Club in Assam and Langsning FC in Meghalaya. In 2011, he had the opportunity to return home after Aizawl FC was restarted by a football-loving group of people, who dreamed of a Mizo club playing in the national league someday. Their first stop was the MPL alongside new clubs such as Chanmari FC, which was fielded after collecting funds from local residents. 

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Lallianzuala Chhangte and other Indian players have had a standout ISL season.
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Lallianzuala Chhangte and other Indian players have had a standout ISL season. (PTI)

The MPL received an investment of 25 lakh for the first five years from Zonet, the cable television network across Mizoram, which picked up commercial rights . They also televised every match, taking the action to young fans. The inaugural eight-team season was a game changer. “The league enabled many players to make careers outside the state. It’s not run on a big budget, but we’re getting results," says L.V. Lalthantluanga director at Zonet. 

Over the next few years, Mizoram football reached new heights. In 2014, they won the Santosh Trophy for the first time. A year later, they won gold at the National Games. In 2017, Aizawl FC lifted the I-League against all odds. “MPL kept players engaged and gave them a reason to maintain fitness. A good season could take them places, so it changed their mindset as well," Zothansanga says. 

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Besides the senior side, every MPL club fielded a junior team in the under-17 league. This brought scouts to Mizoram to sniff out promising talent. “ISL players like Apuia and Jerry Mawihmingthanga played the under-17 MPL, Chhangte played the MPL qualifiers while representing Lunglei. The talent was there, the belief was missing. Once we started winning trophies, people started recognising Mizo players," Tetea says. Chhangte has won the ISL with Mumbai City in the past and is currently their captain.

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As word of the MPL spread, national clubs and academies came scouting to Mizoram. While in class X, Chhangte remembers reading about trials being conducted by DSK Shivajians in a local newspaper. “I had no idea about how one could get to Aizawl. I somehow got to a relative’s home. Once I made the cut in Mizoram, there was to be another trial in Pune. I spoke to Didika (Lalrindika Ralte) and Jeje (Lalpekhlua) on how it would be to play outside the state," Chhangte recalls.

Chhangte and another Mizo player, Jerry Mawihmingthanga, trained at the academy for a couple of years and turned out for DSK Shivajians. It handed them the opportunity to chart successful careers . It was no different for Ricky Lallawmawma, who was courted by a number of Mizo clubs, before moving on to play in the ISL. 

“The rivalry between MPL clubs helped raise the level of the game, besides earning us good wages. Alongside the Santosh Trophy and I-League 2 campaigns, the MPL helped Mizo players get noticed outside the state," Lallawmawma says. 

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Grass-roots football in Mizoram received a major fillip in 2018 when Tata Trust launched the Centre of Excellence (CoE), a residential academy in Aizawl of which Fanai is a product. Alongside the government-run academies in Kolasib and Lunglei, it gave promising players the opportunity to hone their skills. 

Though the CoE was shut down after the covid-19 pandemic, Reliance Foundation Young Champs started the Naupang League in 2022. The programme trains over 3,000 kids (U-6 to U-14) across four districts through the week, readying them for competitive fixtures every Saturday. 

“To develop a player, it’s important to give them matches to build their confidence. To join our programme, all they need is a pair of boots, everything else is free. And anyone can play," says Lalrindika Khiangte, a coach with the Naupang League in Aizawl. 

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After the under-14 Naupang League, players can compete in the under-15 Reliance Foundation Youth Sports championship, the under-17 MPL, followed by the under-19 and under-21 Reliance Foundation Development League. It has encouraged teens like F. Malsawmtluanga, 16, to put their education on hold. A year ago, he moved from Kolasib to Aizawl and is today a part of Mizoram Police’s under-17 squad.

“I had a deal with my mother—if I cleared my class X, she would allow me to pursue football. I’ve seen seniors from my neighbourhood make the cut and I hope to put in the hard work to follow in their footsteps," Malsawmtluanga says.

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Over the years, sustaining the momentum has often been a challenge. The lack of infrastructure continues to hamper development. The turf at the Rajiv Gandhi Football Stadium in Aizawl hosts everything from grass-roots football to the MPL and the I-League. There aren’t many qualified coaches and referees either. Zonet continues to work with the MPL, but struggles to draw sponsors every season. 

Lalremtluanga Fanai in action.
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Lalremtluanga Fanai in action. (Courtesy Lalremtluanga Fanai/Instagram)

“There’s no corporate presence in Mizoram, so it becomes hard for us to raise funds. This project is passion-driven and we have to see how long we can sustain it," says Lalthantluanga. Retaining players is another issue for Mizo clubs, who have to rebuild their squad before every season. 

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“We know the background some of the players come from, so we are happy if they get a good offer because it can change their life," Zadeng says. 

Fanai knows a thing or two about it. Last year, he asked his parents to retire and took on the responsibility of running the household alongside his brother, who runs a second-hand shoe shop. He chips in every now and then for the business.

“We are building our lives back home. There was a time my family didn’t support football and I never thought I would get this far. But the day I was declared the best player at a local tournament, my father started supporting my dream of playing professional football. He feels relaxed to realise that it was possible," Fanai says. 

Shail Desai is a Mumbai-based freelance writer.

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