Kangpokpi gives heroes’ welcome to 3 wonderkids after historic Gothia-Helsinki double

Our Correspondent
KANGPOKPI, Jul 25: The conflict-torn Kangpokpi district hosted a grand civic reception on Saturday to honour three young Kuki football prodigies who led Minerva Academy to a historic double triumph at the 2026 Gothia Cup (Sweden) and Helsinki Cup (Finland).
The grand civic reception, organised by the Youth Affairs and Sports Department of the Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO) Sadar Hills at its administrative headquarters in Kangpokpi town, drew hundreds of supporters, family members, civil society leaders and football enthusiasts.
The supporters welcomed the young champions at Gamgiphai before escorting them in a celebratory procession to the district headquarters, where they were honoured amid thunderous applause and emotional scenes.
The three footballers—whose extraordinary performances powered Minerva Academy to an unprecedented double triumph on the European stage—were Gothia Cup’s Most Valuable Player Thangsanglen Kipgen of Pangjang village in Saikul Sub-Division; Seiminsang Khongsai of Lhungtin village; and Lalvanghao Haokip of Zaphal Veng, Ward No. 9, Kangpokpi town.
Thangsanglen emerged as the tournament's biggest star after scoring a staggering 18 goals in the Gothia Cup, where he was named the Most Valuable Player, before adding 17 more goals in the Helsinki Cup. Seiminsang netted 11 goals across the two tournaments, while Lalvanghao contributed 14 goals, forming one of the deadliest attacking combinations of the competitions.
The Gothia Cup in Sweden, often described as the "Youth World Cup", is the world's largest and most prestigious international youth football tournament, attracting thousands of teams from dozens of countries annually. The Helsinki Cup in Finland is another globally renowned youth competition featuring elite academies and emerging talents from across continents. Winning either tournament is regarded as a landmark achievement in youth football; lifting both titles in the same season places Minerva Academy among the finest youth academies in international grassroots football.
The victories are being hailed as one of the greatest accomplishments by an Indian youth football team on foreign soil, underlining the rapid rise of Minerva Academy as a powerhouse in youth development and showcasing India's growing potential on the global football stage.
Coming from a region severely disrupted by ethnic violence since May 2023, their international success is being hailed as a triumph of determination over adversity.
The young champions were felicitated with traditional shawls, bouquets and cash incentives by KSO Sadar Hills, BJP Yuva Morcha Sadar Hills and several civil society organisations.
A thanksgiving and blessing service was led by Rev Thangneo Haokip, Pastor of KBC Centre Church, Kangpokpi.
Addressing the gathering, KSO Sadar Hills Youth Affairs and Sports Secretary Lamkhohao Vaiphei strongly endorsed Minerva Academy founder Ranjit Bajaj's public appeal to AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey seeking charge of India's U-15 National team for the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup.
He said Minerva Academy's historic achievements at the Gothia Cup and Helsinki Cup were testament to Bajaj's proven ability to nurture world-class young talent and expressed confidence that India could achieve greater success under his leadership if entrusted with preparing the national U-15 side.