A 16-year-old boy from Dumka, Jharkhand who was unknown as a footballer even in the last year came into the searchlight of the Indian football fraternity a couple of months ago, being the top scorer with 16 goals in only eight matches including three hat-tricks in his group league of the AIFF-organized Under-17 Youth League.

He is Prem Hansdak from Zinc Football Academy (ZFA), Rajasthan. His team Zinc Football Academy – a CSR initiative of Hindustan Zinc, has qualified for the knockout round after going undefeated in their Group.

ZFA is now scheduled to take part in the knock-out phase of the League in Shillong, Meghalaya. 

Prem while speaking over the phone from his academy in Udaipur, took time to recall his most cherished goal in the group league. "It was against Baroda Academy. The curling center from the right was on the top box where I made myself unmarked. I did not let the ball drop in and unleashed a perfect right-footed side volley that entered the far left of the nets stunning the goalkeeper. It was a beautiful goal,” remembered Prem. 

Prem expressed deep gratitude to Anil Kisku for helping him to set this journey, from darkness to light. Anil Kisku is his cousin's brother who also lived in Dumka, but settled in Kolkata for a long time. 

Prem was playing football in his locality but casually. His father, a farmer was often trying to restrict him from playing football. His father had to struggle to survive financially. He was not able to change his mud walls by renovating them with bricks. 

Prem stated, “Parents were after me to concentrate on my studies and get a steady job. It was quite natural. Anil Bhaia, having noticed my passion for the game took me to Kolkata, kept me in his residence and I got admitted at a football coaching center in Khardaha run by Alauddin Rana.”

"From there I was spotted by Tarun sir in 2021 for the ZFA. I am grateful to Tarun sir also for his constant encouragement and affection. Initially, I became frustrated with staying far away from my parents. But Tarun sir motivated me to settle for a bright career with football.” 

The striker has only regret that despite being selected in the Under-16 national team last year he could not don India shirts as his passport was not ready 

Prem wants to become the top scorer also in the knock-out phase and the process Cristiano Ronaldo and MS Dhoni are his two inspirations. He concluded, “I often watch Ronaldo’s match videos, and try to learn the technique and fitness he has mastered. I do training alone also to develop fitness and skills. On the contrary, after watching MS Dhoni’s biopic for several times I learned how to develop concentration, keep calm, and patience during a match. That is why I do meditation before every match to increase mental strength."