Season 2 of Nagaland Next Top Player kicks off with international trial opportunity
CHÜMOUKEDIMA, APRIL 25 (MExN): The Government of Nagaland HAS announced the launch of Nagaland Next Top Player: Season 2, a football talent hunt offering young indigenous players a direct pathway to international professional contracts in Thailand.
The initiative, led by the Department of Youth Resources and Sports in partnership with the Nagaland Football Association, Progressive Sports Consultants, and SC Nagaland/Thonburi United Thailand, aims to identify and nurture top football talent in the state.
According to an official release, the selection camp will begin at 2 p.m. on May 12 at the Chümoukedima Football Stadium, Police Complex. Registered players will undergo open trials, following which two finalists will be chosen for an international training and trial program in Thailand.
The selected players will receive full sponsorship for international travel and accommodation, the department said, adding that the program is designed to offer deserving athletes a global stage.
The finalists will first undergo six weeks of intensive training in Chümoukedima under Progressive Sports Consultants, followed by a month-long trial with Thonburi United in Bangkok in July. Their performance during the trial will determine their potential signing with the Thai club for the 2025–2026 season.
The program builds on the success of its inaugural edition, which saw Meceivi Khieya sign an eight-month professional contract with Thonburi United. His story is being hailed as a breakthrough moment for football in the state.
Registration is now open to all eligible players—specifically indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland—through the Instagram pages of the Directorate of Youth Resources and Sports (@youth_resources_and_sports) and SC Nagaland x Thonburi United (@scn.tu).
