Satgougun Kipgen - From tumultuous Manipur to Mohun Bagan SG's Durand Cup-winning squad
For years, Manipur has become a hotbed for emerging football talents in the country. Hence, when harrowing reports of the ongoing ethnic violence, which broke out on May 3, emerged, plenty of national team footballers of the state raised their voices and pleaded with the country's leaders to extinguish the brutality.
The violence has left at least 175 dead and around 50,000 displaced, news reports suggest. Many have fled the state with their families to evade the crisis over the past few months. Satgougun Kipgen, a young footballer still in his teens, also managed to navigate his way out of the tumultuous zone, not just by luck but by virtue of his footballing pedigree.
At the age of 12, Kipgen, who grew up in a small village in Manipur, joined the Sports Authority of India's Regional Center in Imphal. After growing up playing football without any formal training, the youngster impressed in the Under-13 trials and soon joined the SAI academy in February 2017. For six years there, Kipgen honed his skills at the academy in Imphal and his first breakthrough appearance came in the RF Development League this year.
He represented the SAI-RC U-21 team in all three of their group-stage matches, playing a total of 258 minutes. Just days later, however, the situation in Manipur started to worsen. A source in the know of the situation told Sportskeeda that Kipgen would've been stuck in the state if Mohun Bagan Super Giant hadn't come calling for his services soon after.
For the 18-year-old, signing for the Mariners, one of the pioneering clubs in the country, has been a monumental jump.
"He had always dreamt of joining a massive club like Mohun Bagan. To do it so early on in his career is a huge boost for him. But it's just a step forward for Kipgen and he's eyeing a lot more," a source close to the player averred.
Satgougun Kipgen quickly climbing up the ladder at Mohun Bagan Super Giant
Not just in the Calcutta Football League (CFL) but Kipgen was even part of Mohun Bagan SG's recently triumphant campaign in the Durand Cup. Although he just had a minute on the pitch, getting integrated into the first team at a gallop shows the management's intention and expectations regarding his development.
In another monumental feat, the midfielder was also registered in the Mariners' squad for the upcoming season of the Indian Super League (ISL). For an 18-year-old, who had just escaped the clutches of harrowing violence a few months ago, it's an astounding step to make it into the Kolkata Giants' ISL squad.
However, in a conversation with Sportskeeda, a source close to the player unveiled that although he remains excited and motivated about his personal journey, there's a part of him that always navigates its way back to Manipur where people have been suffering for over four months. Kipgen's family and friends are safe, but there's always an emotional strain to see his own state riddled with violence.
That's the emotional crossroad the midfielder is caught up in for now - celebrate his meteoric rise and the many achievements along the way or be engrossed in the pain of seeing his home state in turmoil.