Mohun Bagan Super Giant: The recently concluded 135th edition of the Durand Cup, India's oldest football tournament, produced, besides many surprising results, a hero in Edmund Lalrindika, who scored a hat-trick of goals as East Bengal defeated archrivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant to win the title.
As he rises among the ranks, Lalrindika remembered his progress and also noted the role played by the AIFF youth system.
His Facebook bio still carries a quiet reminder of those early days: “AIFF Regional Football Academy.” There was a time when Lalrindika was simply another young boy dreaming of making it in Indian football.
Today, that same boy has become the name everyone is talking about. Long before the roar of the packed stadium, before the headlines and before the spotlight, there was the AIFF youth system. "I am a product of the AIFF development programme," says Lalrindika.
At the Durand Cup final, Lalrindika didn't just score three goals. He etched his name into Kolkata Derby history as East Bengal lifted the trophy after a 22-year wait. His hat-trick in a 4-1 victory instantly turned him from a familiar name in Indian football into the face of one of the biggest nights in East Bengal's recent history.
When Lalrindika was questioned about how he experienced being part of the AIFF Development Programme and how it shaped his football journey and career, he replied in a nostalgic tone, in his words,
"I joined the AIFF Development Programme at around 11 and spent my youth career there. It taught me discipline and shaped me as a player, playing a big role in where I am today," he said.
When asked what he thinks of AIFF’s grassroots programme in his state, Mizoram, he replied, "It is very important for young players to learn the basics and develop their skills from an early age. I was lucky to have those facilities, and I’m really thankful to the AIFF for the opportunities I received."
But perhaps the most beautiful part of Lalrindika's story is that this moment did not come out of nowhere.
The Durand Cup final was also a personal moment for him. Before the match, he and his sister had prayed for a hat-trick, and after completing it, his first thought was to thank God. “The first thing I remembered was to give glory to God,” he said.
The victory also carried extra meaning for East Bengal after last season’s semi-final exit. Lalrindika was pleased to finally lift the trophy and credited the new season's success to coach Antonio López Habas. “This is just the beginning, and I hope we can win many more trophies with Habas in the future,” he said.
With the India-Brazil match ahead, Lalrindika knows what the opportunity could mean. “For every Indian player, it would be a dream to play against Brazil."
The victory also carried extra meaning for East Bengal after last season’s semi-final exit. Lalrindika was pleased to finally lift the trophy and credited the new season's success to coach Antonio López Habas. “This is just the beginning, and I hope we can win many more trophies with Habas in the future,” he said.
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From an AIFF youth prospect to an India international, and now a derby hero, Edmund Lalrindika's story is a reminder that sometimes football takes its time to introduce its heroes. And when it finally does, it does so with a moment impossible to forget.