Career Dynamics:Shaping futures(IITJEE AIEEE)
Asian Cup 2011: Player Profile - Gouramangi Moirangthem
The Manipuri is India's Mr.Dependable at the back...
By Amoy Ghoshal
03-Jan-2011 1:56:00 AM
Date Of Birth:25.01.1985Position: Central DefenderClub: Churchill BrothersStrengths: Strong in the air, Good sense of positioningWeaknesses: Distribution from the backTrivia: The Chelsea fan has the won Indian League with three different clubs
The Manipuri is a product of the Tata Football Academy and also had a very successful youth career for India. He was the captain when India Under-18’s won the prestigious Ian Rush Trophy in 2003 by beating Brazilian club Botafago. Gouramangi also represented the India Under-23 during the 2008 Olympic qualifiers. His club career started at Dempo, with whom he won the National League and Federation Cup, but Gouramangi wasn’t a regular in that Dempo side.
He then moved to Mahindra and won the double with them as well. Even though he wasn’t a starter at the Mumbai based club also, having already won so many major trophies before even turning 22, helped in his overall development as a player. Gouramangi’s debut for the senior national team came in the 2007 Nehru Cup. Going into the tournament he was a backup to regular first choice centerbacks- Deepak Mandal & Mahesh Gawli. But an injury to Mandal in the 1-0 win over Bangladesh forced him out of the next round robin game against Syria and thus presented Gouramangi his first international cap.
Gouramangi formed a very good partnership with Gawli and his performances at the heart of the defence were instrumental in India winning the tournament. If the 2007 Nehru Cup was Gouramangi’s breakthrough tournament, the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup proved to be the competition where he would establish himself as a regular in the senior national team. He is now considered to be an important member of the Indian team and is also known to score crucial international goals including the winner in the 2008 SAFF Cup semi-final against Bhutan.
His best spell at club level has been with his current club Churchill Brothers, with whom he has won nearly every trophy in Indian football including the I-League in 2008-09 season, the campaign where he was also adjudged as the Best Defender. In 2010 he had a trial with Australia's A-League outfit Melbourne Heart, but the move didn’t materialize as the Australian club didn’t want him to stay away from regular first team football in a year leading up to the Asian Cup. Gouramangi will certainly be a very important player for India in Qatar 2011.
Source:Goal.com
