If there is a will, there’s a way. But how can one make an 11-year-old understand the virtues of life? “Difficulties break some men but make others,” once Nelson Mandela said, and it really made a young boy from Manipur, who had to swap the greenery for the concrete jungle in Mumbai.

For Inter Kashi’s Thoi Singh Huidrom, the road to become a professional footballer began with homesickness, sacrifice and a decision that would eventually shape his footballing career.

At just 11, Thoi left his home in Manipur to join the Reliance Foundation Academy in Mumbai. It was an opportunity to pursue his footballing ambitions, but the distance from home proved difficult for a child still finding his feet in life.

“I used to cry a lot back then. Even I told my parents that I don’t want to stay there. I want to stay home, play football, enjoy,” Thoi recalls in an exclusive interaction with MyKhel.

His brother, however, made him understand that pursuing a dream would require sacrifices.

“Then my brother said, no, in life, you have to face this thing to become what you want. So, I tried to adapt.”

Adapting was easier said than done. Even after spending one or two years in Mumbai, Thoi admitted that he had not completely embraced his new surroundings. The turning point came when he began understanding the bigger picture.

“When I started realizing that my goal is to become a big player. So, I talked to myself and I said that if I really want to become this, then I have to face this thing.”

That determination became the foundation of his development. The Reliance Foundation Academy provided him with opportunities to compete in tournaments, improve his football and develop discipline. However, balancing academics and sport was equally important.

“I think we studied more than we played football there,” Thoi says, while acknowledging the contribution of the academy’s coaches and staff to his journey.

His development eventually took him to Bengaluru FC before NorthEast United, where he began experiencing senior-level football. Now at Inter Kashi, the youngster believes he has found the freedom to express himself.

“While playing, I couldn’t express myself. Here, I finally find freedom. I could express myself while playing.”

That freedom is beginning to translate into memorable moments. Thoi scored Inter Kashi’s first goal of the ISL 2026-27 campaign with a stunning late volley against Odisha FC, marking his first goal in the competition. But he is not looking to stop there. With Inter Kashi fielding an all-Indian squad, he wants to shoulder greater responsibility. The tears in Mumbai did not end his dream. They helped build the footballer he is becoming today.