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The Rise of Thoiba Singh Moirangthem

OFC Media Team
April 05 2022
Moirang is a small town in Manipur known for its freshwater lake called Loktak. In ancient times, the king of Moirang was considered the most powerful among the seven clan kings of Manipur. Till the end of the Khamba-Thoibi era, the Burmese King paid the annual war reparations money to the Moirang king. 

Thoiba, a 15-year old midfielder from Moirang became the youngest player to be introduced to the Indian Football ecosystem. His rise started when he made his I-League debut racking up 11 appearances with a goal and an assist to his name.

An integral part of the India U-16 squad which progressed into the quarter-finals of the AFC U-16 Championship in 2018. Thoiba was the youngest goalscorer in the history of the AFC Cup where he scored against a Nepali outfit, Manang Marshyangdi in the group stage. To be precise he was just 16 years, 5 months, and 3 days old when he scored.

 

Thoiba Singh Moirangthem was recruited by Odisha FC on a three-year deal after his successful stint with Minerva Punjab FC where he garnered 15 appearances and scored 2 goals for the Punjab side. 
 

Starting off his journey with the Juggernauts, Thoiba made his debut for OFC against Hyderabad FC last year in its season opener last year. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury that saw him miss the rest of the season as he spent the rest of his time recuperating.

A determined Thoiba made sure he returned this year fully fit and ready for the new season. He cemented his place in the starting XI as an integral part playing alongside the likes of Vinit & Isaac. With the departure of Vinit, Thoiba made sure he was fully equipped and capable of handling the midfield role which saw him feature in 18 matches and gather crucial game time of 1282 minutes. 

 

Feeling motivated and confident, Thoiba accumulated impressive stats during the season where he made a total of 401 passes which converts to a passing accuracy of 76.05%, averaging at 22.28 passes per game. 57 tackles, 22 interceptions, 16 clearances, 38 blocks, 586 touches, and an assist turned Thoiba into a vital cog in the OFC midfield machinery.

Staying true to the club philosophy of promoting young Indian players and providing them with a platform to showcase their talents, owner Rohan Sharma said this on Thoiba's arrival, "He is a very exciting and versatile player and I am really happy we were able to bring him in the squad. Though he is extremely young, he is a player who has been able to get minutes in the I-League as well as in the age-group competitions for India. He will have a good mentor in Vinit who can help him mature and grow as per the club’s ideologies. He has an extremely high ceiling and hopefully, he finds his feet to develop into a better player for the future."
 

 

The Rise of Thoiba Singh Moirangthem

OFC Media Team
April 05 2022
Moirang is a small town in Manipur known for its freshwater lake called Loktak. In ancient times, the king of Moirang was considered the most powerful among the seven clan kings of Manipur. Till the end of the Khamba-Thoibi era, the Burmese King paid the annual war reparations money to the Moirang king. 

Thoiba, a 15-year old midfielder from Moirang became the youngest player to be introduced to the Indian Football ecosystem. His rise started when he made his I-League debut racking up 11 appearances with a goal and an assist to his name.

An integral part of the India U-16 squad which progressed into the quarter-finals of the AFC U-16 Championship in 2018. Thoiba was the youngest goalscorer in the history of the AFC Cup where he scored against a Nepali outfit, Manang Marshyangdi in the group stage. To be precise he was just 16 years, 5 months, and 3 days old when he scored.

 

Thoiba Singh Moirangthem was recruited by Odisha FC on a three-year deal after his successful stint with Minerva Punjab FC where he garnered 15 appearances and scored 2 goals for the Punjab side. 
 

Starting off his journey with the Juggernauts, Thoiba made his debut for OFC against Hyderabad FC last year in its season opener last year. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury that saw him miss the rest of the season as he spent the rest of his time recuperating.

A determined Thoiba made sure he returned this year fully fit and ready for the new season. He cemented his place in the starting XI as an integral part playing alongside the likes of Vinit & Isaac. With the departure of Vinit, Thoiba made sure he was fully equipped and capable of handling the midfield role which saw him feature in 18 matches and gather crucial game time of 1282 minutes. 

 

Feeling motivated and confident, Thoiba accumulated impressive stats during the season where he made a total of 401 passes which converts to a passing accuracy of 76.05%, averaging at 22.28 passes per game. 57 tackles, 22 interceptions, 16 clearances, 38 blocks, 586 touches, and an assist turned Thoiba into a vital cog in the OFC midfield machinery.

Staying true to the club philosophy of promoting young Indian players and providing them with a platform to showcase their talents, owner Rohan Sharma said this on Thoiba's arrival, "He is a very exciting and versatile player and I am really happy we were able to bring him in the squad. Though he is extremely young, he is a player who has been able to get minutes in the I-League as well as in the age-group competitions for India. He will have a good mentor in Vinit who can help him mature and grow as per the club’s ideologies. He has an extremely high ceiling and hopefully, he finds his feet to develop into a better player for the future."