When children are identified as prodigies, there is a lot they have to sacrifice. At the age of seven, when Aswin KN was selected in this category as an extraordinary footballer, he had to leave for Punjab, thousands of kilometres away from his parents and his first coach. Training at Minerva Academy, he came back four years later as a champion in two European tournaments. All the prizes he won ignited his parents’ hopes, especially his mother’s. His sacrifices didn’t stop there.
Mangalam, his mother, was battling kidney failure for five years and passed away in 2025. “He had returned for holidays that month and was supposed to leave by August 22. Just days before, his mother struggled, and we had to admit her. Then, one nights, Aswin wanted to sleep beside her,” shares K Narayanan, Aswin’s father, recollecting the day before his wife’s death. Now, the footballer seems to carry forward his mother’s wishes despite the grief.
On July 18, Aswin helped the Minerva Boys 12 team complete a double in Scandinavia, winning the Gothia Cup a week after winning the Helsinki Cup. As a winger, he scored six goals across both tournaments. Proud of his achievements, both his father and first coach speak to CE.
Initial days of trial
Narayanan sells seasonal fruits and runs a pushcart business to sustain his family. He remembers the first time he took Aswin to football at the Cantonment Park in St Thomas Mount. “From the day he took to the sport, he rapidly improved in the club,” says Narayanan, proud of his son’s hard work. Aswin’s first coach, Lokesh D, recalls his dedication. When he first saw Aswin play, he told the boy to make his dream of making the India team come true. Lokesh, who runs Mount FC, says, “I remember he couldn’t kick the ball with his left foot. Then I told him to keep tapping the ball with that foot 1,000 times. He went on to kick it not a 1,000 or 2,000 times, but 10,000 times. His will to improve at such a young age was commendable, and it is God’s gift.”
Aswin continued to evolve at his game. He played predominantly at the wings, and was later a cut above the rest. In a selection trial by Minerva Academy across southern states, Aswin was one of three children to have been selected.
But to move thousands of kilometres away from home was not easy. He was bullied, and there was no other Tamilians who could understand him and offer support. The phone calls, which he was allowed to make only once a week, were soaked in tears and with a yearning to go back. “It continued for months. But his mother insisted that he stayed there and worked hard for his dream,” says Narayanan.
The days grew tougher after his mother’s demise. Grieving, Aswin took her sari, and sought solace in long, sleepless nights. The academy was informed about the demise, as he had to return only after performing the final rites. “As soon as he reached there, the kids there started taunting him about his mother. He cried and asked us why we had informed the academy and thereby the students. I told him that there was nothing to hide,” shares Narayanan. Even though doubts over his selection for the Cup competitions crept in, Aswin’s pursuit for success never stopped, ultimately getting selected to the team which went on to win both the tournaments.
Aswin continues to work hard. Lokesh says, “The other day when we drove to meet Sports Minister Aadhav Arjuna, Aswin went, ‘Coach, next enna coach venum ungaluku? ‘ (Coach, what is the next thing you need?),” intending that he is working to fulfill his dear ones’ dreams.