Kohima: Twelve-year-old Wangshem Konyak returned home to Tanhai, Nagaland, this July after leading Minerva Academy FC to victory at the Gothia Cup 2026 in Sweden. The young midfielder cemented his reputation on the global stage. He scored nine goals in the tournament, including two hat-tricks during the knockout rounds. He also netted four goals during the team's successful run at the Helsinki Cup in Finland.
His homecoming was fraught with difficulty. A massive cloudburst and heavy rainfall triggered landslides that severed road access to Mon district. His parents, Y Pongshing Konyak and W Liphen Konyak, trekked 20 kilometres on foot to reach him. "The roads were cut off and vehicles could not ply. The only alternative was to walk, and so we set out on foot. It took us nearly two hours to reach Mon town," Pongshing said.
The boy’s journey began at age three. He was selected during 2022 Khelo India U-14 trials in Mon and earned a scholarship at the Punjab-based Minerva Academy in 2023. While the tournament in Europe brought success, it also brought pain. Konyak suffered an ankle injury that threatened his campaign, though he recovered to finish play.
Reflecting on the trip, the young athlete noted the technical gap between his peers and international squads. He remains humble about the fame. "I felt very happy," he said of his homecoming. His father views this success as the realization of a family legacy. "Football is simply in our blood," Pongshing said. Konyak will end his month-long break in August to return to the academy for rigorous training and early morning drills.
Comments