By Shillong Lajong FC Media

SHILLONG: The U-18 I-League North East Zone is all set to kick off on the 30^th October at the JLN Stadium Shillong.

Shillong Lajong FC U-18 Team will play their first match against Guwahati FC on Saturday the 31^st October at home. The Kick Off Timing will be at 10am.

Lajong Junior Reds undoubtedly have a great record at Local Leagues in Shillong. They were crowned champions of the Shillong Premier League in November 2014 and are currently leading the 2015 edition standings as well. Another commendable feat achieved by the Academy Boys this year was winning the U-19 Shillong Premier League in July.

These rising football stars seem to be unstoppable! Most of them have also featured in the I-League playing alongside their Senior Players. However, The Red Bunch have another mission to accomplish – the U-18 I-League.

Under the watchful eyes of Head Coach Alison Kharsyntiew and Head of Youth Development Gumpe Rime, the U-18 Youth Team of Lajong have been giving their hearts out in all their training sessions and working on a perfect combination of team play to collectively attain their biggest mission this year – to win the U-18 I-League.

Coach Alison however feels that it is not only about winning now but the team has to be build in such a way that they also continue winning in the future.

He also believes that unity and togetherness in the team is imperative and giving your 100 percent on the pitch, determination, perseverance and maintaining discipline is another contributing factor that can help any team achieve their goals.

He said,”It is imperative to build the team not to win only today but to keep winning in the future. The Boys have been training very hard and have been giving good performances during their training session. We hope that they continue to remain consistent throughout the league and have the fighting spirit in them and play as a team.”

“The preparation has been good so far. The team is coordinating and co-operating well”, he concluded.

Mebankhraw Wallang has been named captain of the U-18 Lajong Team. Coach Alison said, “Meban is a leader in the team. He encourages and motivates his team mates through his performances on the pitch. We believe that he has the potential to lift up the spirits of the boys and give confidence in the team.”

The Junior Reds will head into Saturday’s clash with more improvements made for this edition of the U-18 I-League. The Lajong hopefuls will be riding on high confidence, mental and physical finesse and fighting spirit to not give up till the end. They have to collectively play as a team first and foremost and have a great connect with each other on the field to obtain favourable results in the U-18 I-League 2015.