“I just hope I can have a long footballing career,” says Kerala Blasters young defender Ruivah Hormipan as he juggles with responsibilities

Ruivah Hormipan’s journey from the Indian Arrows to becoming a fan favourite at Kerala Blasters is one to marvel at. The young defender has been a sporting icon for many young kids in his village. Hormipan hails from a small village called Somdal which has a population less than three thousand and looking at his heroics for the Blasters, many kids from the village are inspired to take up football as their career.

The youngster was born in a family who earn their livelihood by farming, even Hormipan helps his parents and brothers on the field during his offseason. He is someone who has remained grounded despite being one of the most talented defenders in the country.

Hormipan was never too good in studies and he was more intrigued by football. It was in 2016 he was informed by a friend about a Sports Authority of India conducted trial in Imphal. He struggled a lot during his trial days but once he got selected there was no looking back. After a year at the SAI Academy he caught the eye of the Minerva Punjab scouts and they decided to snap him up for their youth team. He played a massive role in helping Minerva Academy win the Elite League in the 2018-19 season.

Hormipan’s sensational performance saw him get selected into the Indian U-18 team and guided the team to win the U-18 SAFF tournament back in 2019. He then joined the Indian Arrows and played in the I-League to continue his development before he made a return to Roundglass Punjab.

His consistent and his game reading was sensational for his years and hence he quickly caught the eye of the Kerala Blasters management and in 2021 the South Indian club decided to make a move. The young defender did not take much time to settle down to the ISL level as he developed a great partnership with the experienced Marko Leskovic.

The Blasters were collectively an exceptional outfit as they reached the finals but they lost out to Hyderabad FC on penalties. “It still hurts, losing on penalties in the manner that we did,” the 22-year-old centre back said.

Hormipan has shown maturity beyond his years, his aggression is visible in his tackles and his clearances and that has made him a favourite of the Blasters faithful. He has been a regular for the club and with time he wishes to improve his family’s financial condition. The youngster hailed his parents and their unconditional love for their work on the fields.

“It’s part of who they are. They don’t need to work in the fields to support us anymore but they’re proud farmers who take much pride in the dignity of their labour. I’m proud of them for this,” Hormipan revealed.

His consistent performances in the Kerala Blasters backline saw him earn a national team call-up. He made his senior India debut against Belarus in March 2022. The youngster is looking to have a long career so that he can stand up for his family.

“I just hope I can have a long career so I can do two things – play football and support my family,” Hormipam concluded.

The Blasters will travel to Bengaluru to play against the Blues on 3rd March. Once again head coach Ivan Vukomanovic will look towards the youngster in defense to put a flawless performance in a big knockout clash.