Manipur Footballers To Play For NorthEast United In The Indian Super League

NorthEast United Football Club *

The Indian Super League which is an IPL style football tournament is all set to make its debut in October this year and NorthEast United Football Club which is co-owned by Bollywood Superstar John Abraham and Shillong Lajong FC – will represent the 8 States of the NorthEast in the first edition of the ISL.

NorthEast United has selected 14 Domestic Players from Lajong FC and many top foreign Players will also feature in the squad. The Lajong Coaching Staff handpicked 6 experienced and talented footballers from Manipur namely,
o Kh. Jibon Singh,
o Pritam Kumar Singh,
o Boithang Haokip,
o David Ngaihte,
o Milan Singh and
o Seimeinlen Doungel.

Jibon Singh who started playing football during his school days, joined the prestigious Tata Football Academy when he was 17 years old. After spending four years at the Academy in Jamshedpur, he moved to Kolkata "The Football Mecca of India", and signed his first professional football contract with Kingfisher East Bengal for two seasons (2008-10).

The stopper back was also with the Indian Arrows from 2010-2012 and has featured for the National team in the Under 17, Under 19 and Under 23 age category. He signed for Shillong Lajong in the summer of 2012 and has since then played a crucial role at Lajong's backline. He expressed his excitement by saying, "It is a blessing to get selected for this team. I will get the chance to learn a lot during the ISL and to play alongside top quality foreigners will surely help us to be more experienced and improve our performances."

The second player to feature from Manipur in the NorthEast United squad is 18 year old youngster Pritam Kumar Singh.

The skilful defender has played the Under 17 BC Roy trophy in Orissa and was then selected for the U17 India National Camp in 2012. He was also part of the U19 All India Football Federation Elite Academy in Goa and donned the National Team Jersey numerous times for International tournaments including the AFC Cup Qualifiers in Qatar last year.

The 18 year old rising star inked his first professional football contract with Lajong FC in June this year and will look to add strength to NorthEast United FC when he makes his debut with the team this year. On being selected to the roster Pritam said,"I am very happy to be part of the team and very excited to start playing in the ISL. I will give my best on the pitch and hoping for an incredible season."

Free Kick Specialist Boithang Haokip who has been with Lajong FC since 2008 will also join the ranks of NorthEast United FC. Before Lajong he played for United Sports Association in Manipur in 2005, played for Manipur Brother Sporting Union in 2006 and joined Kuki Sporting Club in 2007.

The 23 year old Midfielder who has a great command over set pieces has a very good work rate and can play with both feet. He is famously called as the "David Bechkham of the North East" by Indian Pundits because of similar style of play just like the Legend himself.

The 2014 FPAI Fan's Player of the Year commented on his inclusion to NorthEast United,"I am thankful to the Lajong coaching staff for selecting me to be part of the ISL. This will be a great learning experience for all of us and I will give my best performance for this team."

David Ngaihte who was signed by Lajong FC this season is another addition from Manipur to the NorthEast United Squad. His major influences in life have been Cristiano Ronaldo and David Villa.

It was only in 2007 when David realised his passion for football and the possibility to actually make it big in India as a professional football player. He first joined lower division clubs in New Delhi in 2007 and went on to play the Santosh Trophy for New Delhi in 2009.

He has also played for Club's like the Southern Samity in Kolkata, Rangdajied United FC in Shillong and made the switch to Lajong in July 2014.

David who plays mostly on the wings and has a very good speed, is immensely thrilled to be part in the inaugural season of the India Super League and said,"The ISL is the biggest thing happening this year and I cannot wait to be part of this league and I am super excited to play in the inaugural edition of the ISL."

Ongnam Milan Singh and Seimeinlen Doungel are the two more addition to the squad who will also represent their state in the Indian Super League. The two Manipuri Sensations are currently on National Duty for the upcoming Asain Games and also played the Indo-Pak International Friendly in Bengaluru this month.Milan began his youth career with East Bengal and joined Pailan Arrows in 2010 which he also captained the side in the 2012-13 season.

The promising young talent was signed by Lajong in the 2013-14 season after his incredible season with the Arrows which also saw him scoring 5 goals for the team. On being selected to play for NorthEast United he said,"I am thankful to Lajong for selecting me to be part of the squad and I look forward to start training with the team after the Asian Games. This is a great opportunity for all the players to play for the Indian Super League and I hope the football fans from the North East will come to support the team in all our matches."

While Seimeinlen Doungel who will also represent Manipur for NorthEast United FC and having this talented player on board will surely add a great boost to the ISL team.The 20 year old forward was a JCT Academy product and has also played for Kolkata Football Giants Kingfisher East Bengal. After his contract ended with the Kolkatan outfit, he made a smart move to Shillong Lajong this season and will look to share his expertise in the first edition of the ISL.

Doungel said,"This is my first season with Lajong and also it will be my first time playing for the Indian Super League for NorthEast United FC. I believe that the Club will do well in the first season itself as they have signed many talented and experienced footballers. I hope all of us will give 100 percent on the pitch and also give an entertaining and good display of football to our fans."