Ranchi, Aug. 12 -- At 16, Thokchom Diamond Singh is only beginning to make his mark in senior football, but his journey to the Durand Cup has already been shaped by years of development across some of India's prominent youth football programmes.

Ranchi had already seen enough. Rodriguinho, on his first start for SC Delhi, had put five past Defenders FC, and the Birsa Munda Stadium had settled into that pleasant stupor grounds fall into once a scoreline stops being in doubt. Then, in the 85th minute, something smaller happened. A late change, a fresh pair of legs, a number few in the crowd would have recognised. Thokchom Diamond Singh picked up the ball on the left, dropped a shoulder past his marker, and drove a shot low toward goal -- o...