From Cost, Attitude To Finding The Right Launchpad, Challenges To Advancing A Sports Career

September 8, 2023, Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu, Bhutan. India is playing Maldives in the first semi-final of the U-16 South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Cup. Into the 36th minute of the crucial game, Mohammed Kaif (15), nets a header past the Maldives goalkeeper to bring the score at 2-0 for India. The Indian colts net a total of eight goals that day against Maldives for a showdown against Bangladesh, the other semi-finalist, for a repeat encore of their 2015 clash (where Bangladesh had got the better of India). This time, the Indian juniors held on to their game in the final on September 10, and routed Bangladesh 2-0 to lift their second title in the U-16 category. Kaif played a crucial role in the tournament. He kept a clean sheet as a defender, netted a goal in the semi-final, and captained the U-16 Team India in his debut national game. Though India won the SAFF men’s...