Former India U-17 football team captain Amarjit Singh Kiyam who led the team to the historic FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2017 has only gone from strength to strength ever since. Ever since the big break, Amarjit has gone to debut for the Indian national team and has made a name for himself in the Indian Super League as well.
While he recently featured for FC Goa in their historic AFC Champions League campaign, Amarjit now is spending time with his family. During the off-season, the centre-midfielder likes to help his parents on the paddy field.
“It’s a different kind of field. But for me, it is like going back to my roots. My family has been farming paddy for so many generations. Although I have sort of moved away from that, in my life as a footballer, I still like to get back to it whenever I can,” Amarjit said in an interview with AIFF.com
“It is somewhat different out on the paddy field after a hard season. The football pitch is all about the hustle and bustle and the chaos. But out here on the paddy field, it’s all so calm and serene. It’s really quite refreshing.”
The 20-year-old youngster from Manipur feels that working on the paddy fields is his way of giving back to the community. Also helping his family who have sacrificed a lot for him.
“This is my little way of giving back to my family. My parents had sacrificed so much when I was a kid, to help me play football. spending a few hours during the lockdown to help them on the paddy field is nothing compared to that,” said Amarjit.
Although he did not have a great ISL 2020-21 due to injury, he still made it to the AFC Champions League with the Gaurs. The youngster opened up more on the historic moment of showcasing his talent in front of the top teams in Asia.
“I’ve had a somewhat difficult season, as I have spent a lot of time recovering from an injury. But it has been a good experience in FC Goa so far. I also got to play in the AFC Champions League which was a great experience for us. We stepped up really well and produced some good results,” Amarjit signed off.
