The journey of one of the best ball playing centre-backs: Hyderabad FC’s Sana Singh
Chinglensana Singh, simply known as Sana Singh, began playing football at the age of seven and has never looked back since then. Born in Manipur on November 23, 1996, Sana Singh started his career in the youth setup of Mahindra United, where he was a part of a team that won the Manchester United Premier Cup in 2010.
Chinglensana Singh, simply known as Sana Singh, began playing football at the age of seven and has never looked back since then.
Born in Manipur on November 23, 1996, the defender started his career in the youth setup of Mahindra United, where he was a part of a team that won the Manchester United Premier Cup in 2010.
In January 2016, Sana Singh joined I-League side Shillong Lajong and made his professional debut against Mumbai Football Club in the club’s opening match of the season. His progress through the ranks earned him a move to the Hero Indian Super League (ISL), where he joined Odisha FC on loan and went on to represent FC Goa before becoming a key figure at his current club, Hyderabad FC, whom he joined in September 2020.
Since then, he has been instrumental in helping the team keep six clean sheets (the most) in the league and sit at top of the table for the 2022-23 season while also being ever present during Hyderabad FC’s march to title in the previous season.
“He is one of the best Indian centre-backs right now and is first choice for both club and country, and he is still so very young,” stated former Indian player and commentator Darren Caldeira.
Caldeira also says that ”Sana is not one of the quickest centre-backs, but he makes up for that and stays in the right position at the right time.”
Sana Singh discusses how supportive his family was in every way, and how this was the primary reason he fell in love with football. “My family was supportive in all aspects, and that is how you fall in love with the game,” he says
He made a lot of sacrifices for football, and in Sana's terms, football is more than just a game. Sana’s ability to play out from the back and with the ball gives assurances to his teammates and helps his team play with confidence, according to his teammates.
“Sana is one of the best ball playing defenders for me in India, and he makes our team stronger,” stated Akash Mishra, who accompanies Sana in the left-back position.
Marquez is confident about the level and ability at which Sana plays, and is delighted with the attitude and everything that he brings to the team, be it for the country or the club.
“He is usually in the national team, so that means that his level is improving day by day, and his attitude is always fantastic.”
Sana, at a very young age, is known for his ball playing and aerial ability, which makes him one of the best defenders in the league.
“He is a player that is good in the air, he can make a good tackle and his range of passing is good. He is a great humble example for all the young kids," were the words of Hero ISL commentator and expert Erik Paartalu.
The 26-year-old wants to contribute to the team and show his qualities for the team to bring success, win games, and achieve the set objectives at Hyderabad FC.
“What I can do is contribute to the team, that is most important at Hyderabad FC, to get individual qualities out for the team to make the team win and get success,” concluded an optimistic Chinglensana Singh.