Thinley Namgay
The assistant coach of Bhutan’s senior national football team, Ngawang Jampel, recently joined Minerva Academy Football Club in India as the head of youth development.
Minerva Academy Football Club, based in Punjab, is one of the premier clubs in India, with more than 200 players and around 60 coaches.
In his new role, Ngawang coaches, monitors football training sessions, guides and trains coaches, compiles daily results, and attends to other duties at the club.
His contract period with the club is for one and a half years.
Ngawang is the youngest Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Pro Diploma Licence holder from Bhutan and also the youngest national team coach in Asia.
His appointment at Minerva is seen as an inspiration for many Bhutanese, especially youth, and is viewed as an asset to the club.
His first achievement as a coach at the new club came in the All India Under-17 Punjab tournament, where his team came out the champion.
Despite his young age, at 32, Ngawang Jampel possesses a wealth of experience.
He worked as a dzongkhag coach between 2014 and 2018. In 2020, he was the head coach of the Under-20 team. Moreover, he also served as head coach of Thimphu City FC, Transport United FC, Druk Star FC, and Choden FC.
Prior to 2014, he was a player for the under-18 national team, Zimdra FC, Ugyen Academy FC, and Druk United FC.
Ngawang Jampel said: “It is different working in India. Training for the players is rigorous. It is very encouraging that the players are passionate about football and eager to learn new skills.”
He added that many tournaments are played in India, and both coaches and players remain engaged throughout the year.
Ngawang expressed gratitude to the Bhutan Football Federation for helping him join Minerva Academy Football Club.
He expects to gain more experience and exposure at the new club and also mentioned that he would contribute to the club wholeheartedly.
“One day, I want to come back to Bhutan and help develop football,” he said, adding that he would work hard to receive offers from even bigger clubs in the future.