St Thomas Mount Boy KN Aswin Scores Six Goals as Minerva Wins Scandinavian Football Double

Eleven-year-old footballer KN Aswin from St Thomas Mount in Chennai helped the Minerva Boys 12 team complete a double victory in Scandinavia on July 18, winning the Gothia Cup just a week after securing the Helsinki Cup title. Playing as a winger, Aswin scored a total of six goals across both European tournaments.

Aswin began his football training at Cantonment Park in St Thomas Mount under coach Lokesh D, who runs Mount FC. His father, K Narayanan, who operates a pushcart business selling seasonal fruits, supported his early training at the local park. Aswin showed early dedication to the sport, once practicing 10,000 ball taps with his left foot after his coach asked him to perform 1,000 to improve his weak foot.

At seven years old, Aswin was identified as an extraordinary footballer during a trial conducted by Minerva Academy across southern states, where he was one of three children selected. Moving thousands of kilometres away to Punjab to train at the academy presented early challenges, including language barriers and bullying as the only Tamilian child present at the time. Despite initial difficulty and phone calls limited to once a week, his mother insisted that he remain at the academy to pursue his dream.

Tragedy struck the family in 2025 when Aswin's mother, Mangalam, passed away after a five-year battle with kidney failure. Aswin had returned home for holidays and was scheduled to leave on August 22 when his mother's health deteriorated, leading to her hospitalization. After performing her final rites, Aswin returned to Punjab to continue his training.

Despite facing taunts from peers upon his return and lingering doubts about his selection for the upcoming tour, Aswin earned his spot on the team for the Scandinavian competitions. Following the double cup victory in Scandinavia, Aswin met Sports Minister Aadhav Arjuna alongside his former coach Lokesh D as he continues his football training.