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Shillong Lajong FC, one of the four participants in the Kalinga Super Cup from the I-League, impressed all and sundry despite not qualifying for the semifinals.
On Saturday, at the Kalinga Stadium Pitch One, they were beaten 0-2 by Jamshedpur FC. However, for major parts of the game, the Reds appeared to be the better side on display.
Shillong Lajong kept a clean sheet till the dying moments of the first half when Mohammed Sanan put one past their tight defense and opened the scoring for Jamshedpur. Another goal in the second half by Semboi Haokip put the game to bed.
One of the players who stood out for Lajong was goalkeeper Bishal Lama. His handling of the ball and positioning behind the defenders made him stand out.
Bishal's commandeering presence as the team's custodian between the posts gave his team the confidence to defend with assurance.
The 21-year-old sat down to have a chat with Sportskeeda and elaborated on how he was able to put in such a dominating performance.
"I think a lot of work behind the scenes in training has also helped me gain confidence. We look forward to playing with top-flight clubs, and this game against Jamshedpur FC gave us a lot of confidence," said Bishal.
"I think we switched off a bit towards the end of the first half, and that is where we conceded. However, that is football, and these things happen. We just need to learn from these mistakes and implement them in the I-League when it resumes," he added.
"It is never easy to come back from an injury directly into such a crucial game" - Bishal Lama
Bishal's performance on Saturday was exceptional because he had been out for quite some time due to a shoulder injury he sustained earlier in the season.
Bishal, who hails from Jaigaon, West Bengal, which shares a border with Bhutan, knows what strife is in everyday life and possesses the resilience to overcome it. Hence, the injury did not lay him low for long.
To do so well against a top-quality side from the ISL despite not playing regularly speaks highly of his composure between the goalposts. Therefore, it is not hard to see why Bishal is such an exciting prospect.
He has played in eight I-League matches for Lajong this season already and is expected to be involved even more in its second phase, starting from February 3.
"I think it was quite challenging to come back from the shoulder injury that I sustained earlier in the season, but thankfully, I was able to keep calm and not get nervous," said Bishal.
"It is never easy to come back from an injury directly into such a crucial game, but I will put it down to the confidence given by our goalkeeping coach. Our head coach Bobby Nongbet also believes in me and continuously gives me chances to prove myself," he concluded.
