Football: Could Omang Dodum be India’s next football star after helping team to SAFF U-19 Championship title?
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Dodum makes dream come true at SAFF U-19 Championship
India successfully defended their SAFF U-19 Championship title on Sunday, by showing nerves of steel to beat Bangladesh 4-3 on penalties after the final ended 1-1 in regulation time at the Golden Jubilee Stadium in Yupia.
The Blue Colts made a stunning start to the match, taking the lead inside the first two minutes thanks to a strike by their skipper Singamayun Shami, but the visitors refused to throw in the towel and managed to level proceedings just after the hour mark through Md Joy Ahamed.
However, Team India, who were flawless throughout the competition, could have been two up in the first half had Omang Dodum tucked away his sensational solo effort after slicing through the opposition defence with ease before forcing Hossain Mahin into a crucial save.
Dodum was one of the breakout stars for India at the SAFF U-19 Championship and grabbed the attention of onlookers in the team’s very first game, scoring his first goal for his country in a competitive match during their 8-0 thumping of Sri Lanka in front of his family, who were present in the home crowd. Speaking after the match, he said:
"It was a dream to score in my home ground in front of my family. Many of my relatives and friends came from all over Arunachal just for this game. When I learned that the SAFF U19 Championship would be held in Arunachal Pradesh, my first thought was that my family would watch me play for the national team. I'll play in front of the home crowd. I never expected this. This is everyone's dream."
However, the 17-year-old attacker was not done there, as he doubled his tournament tally with a stunning strike in their final group-stage match against Nepal and bagged a third for his country in their 3-0 semi-final victory over the Maldives on May 16, which we lived every minute of via our football livescore tool.
Dodum ended the SAFF U19 Championship as the joint-second-highest goal-scorer alongside Bangladesh forward Nazmul Huda Faysal and teammate Prashant Jajo, only behind Danny Meitei, who finished with five goals.
Dodum’s journey to India team selection
Dodum began his footballing journey at the age of just 11, when his father enrolled him in the Kolkata Football Academy, where he got his first taste of competitive football and was given the opportunity to attend his first trials at the Chandigarh Football Academy the following year.
There, he was selected by Punjab FC’s U-15 team and went on to help them win the RFDL and participate in the Next Gen Cup, which earned him a call-up to the first team, and from there, his rise began to gain momentum.
The 17-year-old was first called up to the national team in 2023 for a tour of Germany and Spain before featuring in the AFC U-17 Cup in Thailand, where he racked up two caps, against Vietnam and Uzbekistan.
Ongoing improvement earned Dodum a spot in the India U-19 squad in 2024 for the Next Gen Cup in Birmingham, where he scored against Aston Villa, while also scoring for his club, Punjab FC, in the Reliance Foundation Development League final, which they won.
