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Jeakson Thounaojam became the first Indian to score a goal in FIFA World Cup
Jeakson Thounaojam, the scorer of India’s first goal in the Under-17 World Cup, is, in fact, a national team reject. Two years ago, when the national team selectors travelled to scout players from the Chandigarh Football Academy, Jeakson decided to appear for the trials. But then chief coach Nicolai Adam felt, at nearly 6 feet at 14 years, Jeakson was ‘unnaturally tall’ for his age. “I did not lose heart and kept on thinking that I will one day make it to the Indian team,” Jeakson, who prefers ‘Jackson’ on his t-shirt, recently said.
The 16-year-old joined Punjab’s Minerva Academy but the under-17 World Cup looked a world away for him. However, he got another chance when Minerva were invited to play a friendly match with the under-17 team in Goa last April. The local academy defeated what was perceived to be the best bunch of players from India 1-0 and Luis Norton de Matos, Adam’s successor, was impressed by Jeakson.
The Portuguese wasted no time in drafting him into the squad along with three other Minerva players — Nongdamba Naorem, Mohammad Shahjahan and Anwar Ali. Just minutes before kick-off, Jeakson’s mother mumbled a silent prayer.
She sold vegetables to support his career after his father had to leave his job with Manipur Police after a stroke in 2015. She travels 25km every day to Khwairamband Bazar in Imphal, where she has a small shop.
Jeakson’s elder brother, Jonichand, contributes to the family with the meagre income he earns by playing for Peerless Club in the Kolkata Premier League. “I am worried for my family’s condition. But this gives me a chance to give them a better future,” Jeakson had recently said.
On Monday, Jeakson played one of the best matches of his career, dictating play from the midfield alongside his first cousin and India captain Amarjit Singh. He was not doing anything flashy, just picking up loose balls and distributing them well to the forwards. His strong presence in midfield ensured India were not overpowered by the physically superior Colombian players.
However, his biggest moment came in the 82nd minute when India’s tallest outfield player jumped over the Colombian defence to head home Sanjeev Stalin’s inswinging delivery from a corner. The loss in concentration following the wild celebrations meant Colombia scored in the very next minute, resulting in a 1-2 defeat for India.
Jeakson said that was the biggest lesson for the team. “I felt on cloud nine when I scored the goal but it would have been sweeter had we won the match,” Jeakson told the AIFF. “We deserved a result, and we tried our best to get it but in the process we learnt a huge lesson about what international football is all about.”
INDIA EXPRESS