Try to learn from every situation, good or bad: Aakash Sangwan
Apart from being a solid defender, Sangwan has excelled as an attacking force scoring twice and assisting six times during his 37 ISL appearances.

Bhiwani. A small town in Haryana has been on the Indian sporting map ever since Vijender Singh won the bronze medal in men’s boxing at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The achievement has since unlocked the sporting potential of the region which has produced several athletes for the country.
Aakash Sangwan is the latest addition to the list. The FC Goa left-back received his first-ever call-up to the Indian national team extending the town’s footprint to football.
Sangwan has been a consistent performer in the Indian Super League (ISL) since the 2022-23 season after he joined Chennaiyin FC from Punjab FC. After being a regular starter with the Marina Machans, he signed for FC Goa ahead of ISL 2024-25 and has made an impressive start to life in Goa.
Apart from being a solid defender, Sangwan has excelled as an attacking force scoring twice and assisting six times during his 37 ISL appearances.
Playing under the Indian national team head coach Manolo Marquez at FC Goa, the 28-year-old has impressed his new boss which has earned him his first call-up, something that Sangwan wasn’t entirely expecting.
"Well, someone sent me a congratulatory text and I couldn’t make out what the wish was for. Then when I went online I saw the list of probables and realised why I got the text. It was a surprising as well as a joyous moment," he told AIFF Media.
"The first call-up to the national team is always special as everyone desires to play for India at least once in their lives. So, it means a lot," added Sangwan.
New Beginnings 💙🇮🇳
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) October 7, 2024
Aakash Sangwan and Lalrinliana Hnamte embark on their journey as they don the Indian jersey for the first time! 👕👏#IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/Vj5E9EFhfH
From being a football player in his locality to being a national team player, Sangwan has had a long journey. For the young Sangwan, it was always about playing as many games as possible.
"Until 16 years of age, I played in every open tournament possible in Haryana. Then my family shifted to Panchkula and I started training at the Sector 17 Ground in Chandigarh. For the next few years, I played inter-university tournaments and the Santosh Trophy," he said.
"I believe it's the constant learning and growing day by day that helped me gain these recent step-ups in my career. I will keep trying to do what I have always done - and that is giving my best and learning from every situation, whether good or bad," he added.
Sangwan is sharing a room with former Chennaiyin FC teammate Farukh Chaudhary and has been impressed by the quality of the training sessions in the Indian camp.
"The experience so far has been great. I can see why most of these players have been a part of the national team for so long, everyone here is confident and sure about their abilities. I want to contribute to the team as much as I can in whatever way possible, so that we can move forward in the right direction," Sangwan said.
Speaking about his relationship with his club and national team coach, Marquez, Sangwan hailed the Spaniard and his coaching staff for clear communication.
"One thing I can say about the coaching staff is that they are honest and direct people. Good or bad, they will tell you directly to your face. Coach Manolo's relationship with me is just as good as he has with every other player in the national team and FC Goa," he concluded.