Punjab FC has bolstered its roster ahead of the upcoming 2024-25 Indian Super League (ISL) season with the acquisitions of wingers Ninthoinganba (Ninthoi) Meetei and Nihal Sudeesh. Ninthoi, who last represented Chennaiyin FC, signed a three-year deal with Punjab FC, extending until 2027. Nihal, on the other hand, has joined on loan from Kerala Blasters for the duration of the season.
The 22-year-old Ninthoi, hailing from Imphal, was a member of the U-17 Indian team that participated in the 2017 U-17 FIFA World Cup hosted in India. He made his professional debut for Indian Arrows in the I-League, accumulating 25 appearances and scoring twice. In 2019, he was signed by NorthEast United, an ISL side. He featured in 24 matches for the club before moving to Chennaiyin FC in 2021. Across two seasons, he registered one goal in 26 appearances. Ninthoi’s contributions to the team were recognized when he was awarded the Most Valuable Player title at the 2019 SAFF U-18 Championship. His pace and youthfulness on the flanks will be crucial for Punjab FC’s performance in their second ISL season.
Nihal, born in Kochi, was signed by Kerala Blasters in 2019 and played for their reserve team in the I-League 2 Division. In 2020, he joined the Indian Navy, but after a year, he left his position to rejoin Kerala Blasters in the 2022 season. He continued to represent the reserve team. The 23-year-old made his ISL debut in the 2022-23 season for Kerala Blasters and impressed with his performances.
In a separate development, the Bengal Warriors have announced the appointment of Prashant Surve as their new head coach for the upcoming Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) season 11. Praveen Yadav will be serving as his assistant coach. The Warriors had previously parted ways with their former head coach, K Bhaskaran, after the conclusion of PKL 10.
Prashant has been part of the Bengal Warriors setup since PKL season 9 as an assistant coach. His promotion to head coach signifies the franchise’s faith in his abilities to build a competitive squad. Praveen, a former kabaddi player, is a newcomer to PKL and will be supporting Prashant in their shared goal of developing a strong and long-lasting team. The Kolkata-based franchise holds a PKL title victory from season 7 (2019) and has qualified for the Playoffs four times in the past decade. In season 10, the Warriors narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Playoffs, finishing seventh.
“I am delighted that the Capri Sports owned Bengal Warriors franchise have shown immense faith in me by asking me to take over as the Head Coach of the team. We are committed to putting our best efforts, whether it is the auctions or on the mat, to make the people of Bengal proud. We received a lot of warmth and affection from our fans when we went back to the city after four years, and we promise to exhibit our best play and deliver positive results this season,” expressed newly appointed head coach Prashant Surve.
In the world of tennis, India’s top-ranked player, Sumit Nagal, advanced to the second round of the Braunschweig ATP Challenger after securing a comfortable win over Felipe Meligeni Alves of Brazil on Tuesday. Nagal, the second seed, breezed past Alves 6-1 6-4 in the clay-court event. He will face Argentina’s Pedro Cachin in the round of 16 on Wednesday. This tournament serves as preparation for the Paris Olympics, scheduled to commence later this month at the Roland Garros Stadium. Nagal’s previous outing was a first-round exit from Wimbledon, where he lost to Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic.
