[ Bengia Ajum ]
ITANAGAR, 3 Aug: Gumpe Rime of Arunachal Pradesh has been selected as the goalkeeping coach of the India U-23 national team for the upcoming Asian Football Championship (AFC) U-23 qualifiers.
The qualifier starts from 1 September in Doha, Qatar, and will end on 9 September.
Talking to this newspaper, Rime expressed happiness over his selection. “Great to be back as the goalkeeping coach for the U-23 national team. It’s an honour to be called for national team duty,” said Rime.
Rime is a former goalkeeper for the junior India team and is the head goalkeeping coach at the Reliance Foundation Young Champs Academy, Mumbai. Hailing from Aalo in West Siang district, he was a professional football player for 16 years, playing for India and various clubs across India.
He holds an AFC A coaching licence and is the first from the state to earn it. Rime played for India in the Asian Youth Football Championship in 1994. After retiring from the game, he is serving as the goalkeeping coach.
Meanwhile, Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Kento Jini said it is a proud moment for Arunachal that Rime has been appointed as the goalkeeping coach of the India U-23 national team for the upcoming AFC U-23 qualifiers. “Your unwavering dedication and years of contribution to Indian football continues to inspire us all,” he posted on social media.
