Lalengmawia Ralte, fondly known as Apuia by his teammates and fans, will not turn 21 until later this week. But clearly, when it comes to Apuia, age is hardly a factor.
Such was his performance against Maldives recently that India captain and living legend Sunil Chetri handed him his ‘man of the match’ award to Apuia.
Apuia moved from Northeast United to Mumbai City FC in one of the biggest transfer deals ahead of the 2021/22 season. He now plays as a central midfielder for Indian Super League club Mumbai City and India’s national team.
Apuia earned the title of Northeast United FC Captain, which made him the youngest captain in the league. Gerard Nus, the team manager who is also the youngest manager at just 35, rightly said age is not a factor in his team. He believes Apuia to be a talented local player who is determined to get better in every game.
Lalengmawia is called Apuia, which in Mizo language means ‘something that will grow bigger’, by his team mates and friends and his becoming the captain is something everybody is delighted by. His on-field roles however have not changed much since he became the captain.
Also read: NorthEast United qualify for playoffs with best-ever league finish
