Imphal: Themmaya Hungyo, 14-year-old budding football player from Manipur’s Kamjong district, is all set to hone his sporting skills in professional soccer after getting selected for U-15 training by CF Fuenlabrada, a Spanish football team.
Altogether, three young players from Manipur were selected for the one-month high- intensity football training with club CF Fuenlabrada, a second division La Liga club in Spain.
Both Themmaya and Korouhanba Meitei, 18, left for Madrid in Spain from Delhi via Dubai on Sunday, while Gaikulung Gangmei, 21, left for the Spanish country from Bengaluru, said Dr Shimreingam Hungyo, father of Themmaya Hungyo.
As per reports, at least 35 young football players from across the country are travelling to Spain during the month of May and June in two batches, for one-month professional football training with the club CF Fuenlabrada in Spain.
Themmaya, who started playing at the age of 12, was initially trained in Punjab after he was selected in a trail by Round Glass Football Academy in 2020.
Later, he joined the Classic Football Academy in Imphal for training under Renedy Singh, a former Indian football player and interim head coach of the East Bengal football club.
In 2022, Themmaya joined the Sudeva Football Academy in Delhi for further training in soccer.
During their stay in Spain, the selected young players will also get the chance to learn the Spanish language.
According to Dr Hungyo, Themmaya has gone to Spain after receiving a 70% scholarship for a one-month training-cum-trial with the Spanish football club. The remaining amount was borne by the family, he added.
“My son will be back from Spain in June after a month, and he will leave again for further training with the club CF Fuenlabrada likely in September,” said Dr Hungyo.
Earlier, Chief Minister N Biren Singh was called on by the representatives of the football team, led by its technical director Josele Gonzalez.
Later, Singh said that five players from Manipur will be selected by the Spanish football team after a trial at Hiyai turf, Achanbigei at Koirengei in Imphal.
“The selected players will be travelling to Spain in the month of May and will get to play a full season which will be fully funded by the team,” Singh wrote on Twitter.
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