Aizawl FC should not even have been competing in the I-League's top division this season. Now these underpaid, underrated footballers will represent India in continental competition. At the end of the tense, scrappy draw with neighbours Shillong Lajong FC that secured the championship, several Aizawl players were in tears of disbelief. They are the first Indian champions from the Northeast, a hotbed of football talent, and proof that heart and competitive spirit can beat big budgets. Photo: Dvonne Banjop

Source: India Today May 05, 2017 16:30 UTC