The Tangkhul college league: how Ukhrul’s campuses became a football factory

The college football league of Ukhrul district — a tournament of eleven campuses, played on pitches carved from hillsides — has become the most reliable talent pipeline in Manipur’s football.

The league’s alumni include a national-team player and a dozen professionals across the I-League and ISL.

Coaches credit the league’s structure: every college fields a team, every team trains year-round, and scouts know exactly where to come.