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Som Kumar
Kumar with Olimpija Ljubljana U19 in 2023
Personal information
Full name Som Kumar
Date of birth (2005-02-27) 27 February 2005 (age 19)[1]
Place of birth Bangalore, India
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)[2]
Position(s) Goalkeeper[3]
Team information
Current team
 Kerala Blasters
Number 31
Youth career
2018 Bengaluru
2018–2019 Boca Juniors Academy
2019–2020 BYFL Academy
2020–2021 NK Bravo
2021–2022 NK Krka
2022 NK Bravo
2022–2023 NK Krka
2023–2024 Olimpija Ljubljana
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2024– Kerala Blasters 3 (0)
International career
2020–2022 India U17 11 (0)
2023– India U20 4 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:30 5 November 2024 (UTC)

Som Kumar (born 27 February 2005) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters.[4]

Club career

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Early and youth career

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Som began his playing career in hometown Bangalore, at the age of 13.[5] In 2018, he appeared with U13 side of Bengaluru.[5] He then played for Boca Juniors U-13, and BYFL Academy team.[5] Kumar's competitive club career began in 2020, when he travelled to Slovenia.[6] At first, he signed with U17 team of NK Bravo.[7] With Bravo, he took part in an U15 summer tournament in Italy.[7] In that competition, he became prominent in a match against Bologna U17 in their 1–1 draw, in which he saved multiple penalties.[8][7] He was then loaned out to another NextGen Liga club NK Krka, signing with their U17 team.[7] He helped the team achieving third place in the league.[9] He later appeared with U19 teams of both NK Bravo and NK Krka until moving to Olimpija Ljubljana.[7][10]

In February 2023, Som signed a contract with U19 side of NK Olimpija Ljubljana.[11][12] He joined the team as their third-choice goalkeeper in mid-season transfer.[7] After training with an Indian club, he joined Olimpija Ljubljana denying a move to the Indian Super League, stating "That was a good experience for me; it helped me understand how an ISL team works, and they offered me a contract. It's nothing that I have against the club or the ISL, but at the moment, I think my focus is to stay in Europe and train in Europe."[13] He made his official league debut on 28 July, against NK Aluminij.[2] He soon became regular starter for the club after showcasing his goalkeeping abilities in 2022–23 NextGen Liga.[7] He also made it to the team's UEFA European Under-19 Championship squad, alongside friendly tour to Austria in June.[14] In July, Som was called up to the senior squad, but remained uncapped in Slovenian PrvaLiga.[15]

Kerala Blasters

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In June 2024, Som was signed by the Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters on a four-year deal, till 2028.[16][17] He was the first Blasters' signing under new coach Mikael Stahre.[18] Som made his senior debut on 1 August with Kerala Blasters in the 2024 Durand Cup match against Mumbai City FC, where he kept a clean-sheet as the Blasters won the match with a record-breaking score of 8–0.[19] He then kept two more consecutive clean sheets against Punjab and CISF Protectors. On August 23, in the Durand Cup quarter finals against Bengaluru, Som collided with Bengaluru striker Jorge Pereyra Díaz within eight seconds into the game, resulting in a head injury and was stretchered off after sustaining a severe cut.[20] Som made his Indian Super League debut on 20 October in a 2–1 win against Mohammedan SC.

International career

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Som is a former member of both Indian national under-16 and under-17 teams.[21][22] He was part of India under-16 team's tour to the United Arab Emirates, in which he appeared in their 4–2 win against Sharjah U18 on 36 January 2021, coming as a substitute for Lionel Daryl Rymmei on 62nd minute.[23] He later earned call-up to the Shanmugam Venkatesh managed India under-20 team to participate at the 2022 SAFF U-20 Championship in Odisha.[24][25][26] He made crucial saves in their semi-final win against the Maldives.[27] At the final on 5 August, they clinched title defeating Bangladesh 5–2.[28][29][30] He won best goalkeeper award in that edition.[26]

Som was also included in India's 2023 AFC U-20 Asian Cup qualification squad.[31] They travelled to Kuwait in October, faced Australia, Iraq and Kuwait, winning a single match, against hosts.[32][33] A year later, he was again included into the team by head coach Shuvendu Panda for their 2023 SAFF U-19 Championship campaign in Kathmandu, Nepal.[34][35][36] They clinched their second consecutive title on 30 September, beating Pakistan 3–0.[37]

Personal life

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Som was born and grew up in Bangalore.[15] His parents Vivek Kumar and Shama Kittur, both are former national-level badminton players.[15]

Career statistics

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Club

[edit]
As of match played 6 August 2024[38]
Club Season League Cup[a] Continental Other[b] Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Kerala Blasters 2024–25 Indian Super League 0 0 0 0 — 2 0 2 0
Kerala Blasters total 0 0 0 0 — 2 0 2 0
Career total 0 0 0 0 — 2 0 2 0
  1. ^ Includes Super Cup
  2. ^ Includes Durand Cup

Honours

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NK Krka U-17

India U-20

Individual

See also

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References

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Cited sources

  1. ^ "Player Profile — Club Details: Som Kumar". the-aiff.com. New Delhi: All India Football Federation. Archived from the original on 26 September 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Player Profile :: Career Statistics :: Achievements :: Club Information". besoccer.com. BESoccer. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  3. ^ "Som Kumar – Player Summary – Career Statistics – Matches". int.soccerway.com. Soccerway. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  4. ^ Philip Mathew, Alen (28 July 2023). "Som Kumar reveals why he chose Europe over ISL". khelnow.com. Bengaluru: Khel Now News. Archived from the original on 28 July 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  5. ^ a b c Philip Mathew, Alen (22 July 2023). "Playing high pressure games in Europe helped during SAFF U-20 Championships, reveals Som Kumar". khelnow.com. Bengaluru: Khel Now News. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  6. ^ Philip Mathew, Alen (19 July 2023). "Som Kumar opens up on challenges faced while living overseas and adapting new lifestyle". khelnow.com. Bengaluru: Khel Now News. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Chatterjee, Triyasha (11 June 2023). "EXCLUSIVE: Champions League Qualifiers at SIGHT, Indian goalkeeper Som Kumar SCRIPTS history". insidesport.in. Kolkata: Inside Sport India News. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  8. ^ Philip Mathew, Alen (16 July 2023). "Som Kumar reveals how chat with India youth coach Felix D'Souza influenced move to Europe". khelnow.com. Bengaluru: Khel Now News. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  9. ^ a b Sarkar, Riddhiman (11 July 2023). "Top three players who are the "next big thing" in Indian football". khelnow.com. Bengaluru: Khel Now News. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  10. ^ "Young Indian Goalkeepers Look to Make a Mark in SAFF U20 Championship". news18.com. 20 July 2022. Archived from the original on 24 July 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  11. ^ "KLUBSKA TEKMOVANJA — 1. SLOVENSKA MLADINSKA LIGA 22/23". nzs.si (in Slovenian). Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  12. ^ Husain, Adil (27 July 2023). "Som Kumar: From Bengaluru to Slovenia – A Goalkeeper's Journey to European Football". sportzcraazy.com. Sport Crazy News. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  13. ^ Mallick, Ankush (29 July 2023). "Som Kumar, 18 Years Old Indian Prodigy shares reasons for choosing Europe over ISL". technosports.co.in. Techno Sports India. KhelNow. Archived from the original on 28 November 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  14. ^ "Olimpija začela priprave: Maria Kvesića ni bilo na spregled, zraven fantje z evropskega prvenstva in tudi 18-letni vratar iz Indije" [Olimpija started preparations: Mario Kvesić was conspicuously absent, along with the boys from the European Championship and also the 18-year-old goalkeeper from India]. planetnogomet.si (in Slovenian). Planet Nogomet Slovenia. 12 June 2023. Archived from the original on 28 November 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  15. ^ a b c Veerappa, Manuja (27 July 2023). "Som Sets The Bar High". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Bengaluru: The Times of India. TNN. Archived from the original on 23 October 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  16. ^ "ISL Transfers: Kerala Blasters sign goalkeeper Som Kumar from NK Olympija Ljubljana". The Bridge. 11 June 2024. Archived from the original on 12 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  17. ^ "Kerala Blasters sign goalkeeper Som Kumar". Onmanorama. 12 June 2024. Archived from the original on 13 June 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  18. ^ Sportstar, Team (12 June 2024). "ISL: Kerala Blasters signs young goalkeeper Som Kumar on four-year deal". Sportstar. Archived from the original on 12 June 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  19. ^ Sportstar, Team (1 August 2024). "Mumbai City vs Kerala Blasters highlights, Durand Cup 2024: MCFC 0–8 KBFC; Noah, Peprah score hattricks in Blasters' biggest win ever". Sportstar. Archived from the original on 3 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  20. ^ Bharadwaj, Sathvik. "Honed in Slovenia, Som seeks breakthrough at Blasters". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  21. ^ Menon, Sandeep (23 January 2021). "Winds of change in Bengaluru football?". deccanherald.com. Bengaluru: The Deccan Herald. Archived from the original on 11 October 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  22. ^ "India: U-16 Men — Squad vs Sharjah FC U18, 26th January, 2021". the-aiff.com. New Delhi: All India Football Federation. 23 July 2022. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  23. ^ "Friendly Match — India 4–2 UAE U18 :: 2021-01-26 (17:10:00); Al Riqa Suburb — Sharjah, UAE". the-aiff.com. New Delhi: All India Football Federation. 26 January 2021. Archived from the original on 30 November 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  24. ^ "Venkatesh announces squad of 23 for SAFF U20 Championship". the-aiff.com. Bhubaneswar: All India Football Federation. 23 July 2022. Archived from the original on 23 July 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  25. ^ "India announce squad for SAFF U-20 Championship". deccanherald.com. The Deccan Herald. IANS. 23 July 2022. Archived from the original on 11 August 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  26. ^ a b Mukherjee, Soham (5 August 2022). "2022 SAFF U-20 Championship: Gurkirat scores four as India beat Bangaldesh 5–2 in the final". goal.com. Goal. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  27. ^ "India beat Maldives, book spot in SAFF U20 C'ship final with Bangladesh". thestatesman.com. Bhubaneswar: The Statesman. IANS. 5 August 2023. Archived from the original on 5 December 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  28. ^ TEAM SPORTSTAR, 21:34 IST (5 August 2022). "India beats Bangladesh to clinch U20 SAFF Championship". sportstar.thehindu.com. Bhubaneswar, Odisha: Sportstar. Archived from the original on 5 August 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  29. ^ Mukherjee, Soham (7 August 2022). "NXGN India: Who is Gurkirat Singh? The starlet that won the golden boot and MVP award in SAFF U-20 Championship". goal.com. Goal. Archived from the original on 9 August 2022. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  30. ^ Sarkar, Sattyik (5 August 2022). "India defeat Bangladesh to win SAFF U-20 Championship 2022". khelnow.com. Khel Now. Archived from the original on 22 July 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  31. ^ TEAM SPORTSTAR, 15:29 IST (23 July 2022). "India announces 23-member squad for SAFF U20 Championship". sportstar.thehindu.com. Bhubaneswar, Odisha: Sportstar. Archived from the original on 6 October 2022. Retrieved 15 November 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  32. ^ Chatterjee, Triyasha (18 October 2022). "AFC U20 Asian Cup Qualifiers LIVE: India brace for ULTIMATE Kuwait test — Check Out India U20 vs Kuwait U20 Preview, Prediction, LIVE Stream-Follow LIVE". insidesport.in. Kolkata: Inside Sport India News. Archived from the original on 27 October 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  33. ^ "India beat Kuwait 2–1, win but fail to qualify for next year's AFC U-20 Asian Cup". hindustantimes.com. The Hindustan Times. PTI. 19 October 2022. Archived from the original on 19 October 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  34. ^ "Shuvendu Panda names 23-member Indian squad for 2023 SAFF U-19 Championship". the-aiff.com. New Delhi: All India Football Federation. 11 October 2022. Archived from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  35. ^ "SAFF Championship: Groups revealed for U-16, U-19 youth events". Khel Now. 22 July 2023. Archived from the original on 22 July 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  36. ^ "Draw revealed for SAFF U16 and U19 Championships". The AIFF. 22 July 2023. Archived from the original on 22 July 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  37. ^ "INDIA WINS SAFF U19 CHAMPIONSHIP 2023 TITLE". saffederation.org. Kathmandu: South Asian Football Federation. 30 September 2023. Archived from the original on 15 October 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  38. ^ Som Kumar at Soccerway
  39. ^ Sarkar, Uttiyo (7 August 2022). "SAFF U-20 Championship 2022 review: India retain title". khelnow.com. Bhubaneswar: Khel Now News. Archived from the original on 11 August 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  40. ^ Rawat, Akhil (30 September 2023). "CHAMPS!!! Triple-strike Blue Colts send crippled Pakistan packing". the-aiff.com. Kathmandu: All India Football Federation. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  41. ^ "SAFF U20 CHAMPIONSHIP 2022 — Overview". saffederation.org. South Asian Football Federation. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.

Further reading

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