Inspired by Ronaldo’s grit, Assam striker marches into India U-20 reckoning

Guwahati, May 27: He watches Cristiano Ronaldo videos before every match. Sometimes he pulls them up when the mood dips. For Ashish Chetry, the Portuguese forward is not just a poster on a wall but a philosophy."I love Ronaldo because of his never-give-up attitude," the 17-year-old from Udalguri told The Assam Tribune. "This motivates me to be better and give my best."The habit seems to be working.

Ashish has been called up to the India Under-20 Men's National Team Camp, which will hold trials in Karnataka from June 15 to 18 this year, ahead of the AFC U-20 Asian Cup Qualifiers scheduled between August 29 and September 6. The call-up, for a boy born into a farming family in a small Assam district, is a considerable leap."Now I will have to give my best to go to the next level. I know this will be tough, but I'm ready," he said.Numbers back confidencePlaying as a striker for Hindustan Zinc's Zinc Football Academy (ZFA) in Udaipur, Ashish finished the 2025-26 AIFF Under-18 Elite League season with 25 goals in 21 appearances, including five hat-tricks. He was ZFA's top scorer and the second-highest in the country, and his performances helped the academy finish as runners-up, its best result in the competition.His journey to Udaipur was not a straight line.

He started out in Assam, nurtured through the Assam Football Association setup, before moving to SGVP FC in Gujarat, where he won the GSFA U-17 Club Championship in 2025 and was named Player of the Tournament. He joined ZFA the same year, and the step up in quality and structure accelerated his development sharply.Ashish is not the only one making noise from Assam at the Udaipur academy. Midfielder Bryant Dihingia from Tinsukia has drawn attention for his composure and tactical reading of the game.Goalkeeper Rishi Konwar from Duliajan has been a dependable figure between the posts. And Dwiden Boro, also from Udalguri, continues to work his way back from a PCL injury, still regarded within the squad as a player of real character.

Four players from Assam, roughly 2,500 km from home, making their presence felt at national level."Ashish's India call-up is a proud moment not just for Zinc Football Academy, but for Assam football as well," said Tarun Roy, technical director at ZFA. "Along with players like Bryant, Rishi, and Dwiden, he represents the kind of talent we aim to nurture. Our focus remains on providing the right platform and environment for young players to grow and perform at the highest levels."Founded in 2018 and rated three stars by the All India Football Federation, ZFA has developed a track record of feeding players into India's age-group setups. The academy recently launched what it describes as India's first residential football academy for girls, with an inaugural batch of 20 players from rural backgrounds.For Ashish, however, the immediate focus is narrower: make it through the trials, earn a place in the final squad, and keep doing what Ronaldo would do.The dream is alive.

Now comes the hard part.