XtraTime Web Desk: For those who inquire of the productivity of the Reliance Foundation Youth Sports and the role of Reliance in promoting young talents in India, Phrangki Buam, the 18-year-old student of Shillong College is a perfect answer to all the critics. 6 goals in 200 appearances in the Hero I-League is just a mere statistics, but the rise of the youngster was itself a point to remember.
A player who caught the eyes of one and all to win both the Golden Boot and Golden Ball of the Reliance Foundation Youth Sports 2018 season, scored two back to back hat-tricks in the semi-final and final. The way he scored five goals in the semi finals of the Shilong City Championship 2018, was nothing short of absolute brilliance. A rare talent who is comfortable on both the feet, has electrifying pace, dribbling brilliance, hunger to score goals, unselfish, dangerous in the setpiece situations, lethal finisher and despite being diminutive in stature, has the outstanding attribute of scoring goals from precision headers.
The youngster was also the highest goalscorer for Shillong Lajong this season in the local league. His outstanding brace against Mohun Bagan in the last game of the Hero I-League was probably the just the forecast of another sizzling talent from the NorthEast. Playing in a team without any foreigner when all the other teams were bolstered by as many as six foreigners, was never easy. But this guy did exactly that. Booming in confidence, the attacking spearhead gave all he had but could not save his team from relegation. But his performance day in day out was enough to prove his class on the colourful stage of Indian football.
Shillong Lajong might not be in the first league next season, but the brilliance from Phranki Buam is showing milky ways of a bright future of Indian football. Reliance Foundation Youth Sports deserves a lot of credit for that.