As the villagers continue to sleep peacefully at 4:00 am, a few youngsters from the village in Nagaland ready themselves for football training.

The training is special for them, not because it takes place amid COVID-19 lockdown, but because they are trained by Lironthung Lotha- the charismatic midfielder from Nagaland.

The 22-year-old Nagaland footballer, who is a resident of Merapani village in Wokha district, has been imparting training to some 20 odd children even as the world continues to fight against COVID-19.

The pandemic might have slowed down the training a bit with restrictions galore, however, the spirit continues to run high!

Lotha, who represents RoundGlass FC Punjab presently, is quite passionate about the game and he doesn't want to lose out on the slightest of training opportunity available.

In an interview with The Morung Express, Lotha said, "We have a long way to go in competing with the other states when it comes to sports. We have just a handful of professional players and the aspiring youngsters need our guidance."

In simple words, Lotha wants to give back to the aspiring footballers of the state the facilities that he could not get during the early part of his career.

"I do not want them to face the same difficulties that I have faced," Lotha was quoted as saying by The Morung Express.

Even though the young footballer always had the desire to teach the aspiring footballers of the state, however, it could not materialise as he was unable to stay home owing to his busy training schedule.

However, the COVID-19 lockdown offered him with the opportunity and he is making full use of it.

Lotha noticed the enthusiasm of the boys of the village whenever he practised football in his native village while he was there to spend his holidays.

And the enthusiasm drove Lotha to organise these practice sessions during the COVID-19 lockdown, which he feels, have been helping the young footballers in a great way to hone their basic football skills.

And those learning under him are also happy and they feel the training would help them in a great way in the future.