Guwahati goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari dedicates Super Cup win to Zubeen Garg in Goa

GUWAHATI, Dec 8: For Hrithik Tiwari, the night at Fatorda (Goa) was not just about lifting another trophy. It was a moment that tied together childhood memories, long hours on the training ground and a quiet promise he had carried for years. When FC Goa edged past East Bengal 6-5 in a tense penalty shootout to retain the AIFF Super Cup on Sunday, the 23-year-old goalkeeper from Guwahati felt something deeper than victory. He had fulfilled the tribute he had long wished to offer.

Hrithik, who has grown into one of the most dependable young goalkeepers in Indian football, dedicated the win to someone who shaped his early dreams. Not a footballer, but an icon who inspired him through music and presence. Zubeen Garg.

He still remembers the first time their paths crossed. Hrithik was 14, taking part in a trial at the Gauhati University ground. Zubeen along with other musicians was also there to participate in an exhibition match and help the local footballers. The teenager was awestruck.

“I was struck by his personality,” Hrithik told The Assam Tribune on Monday. “Not just his music. He could touch many lives with his humility and his down to earth nature.”

Over the years, as Hrithik worked his way through age-group tournaments and later into FC Goa’s senior setup, that memory stayed with him. He hoped he would meet Zubeen again, this time with something to show. Something that marked how far he had come.

“I wanted to meet Zubeen da after achieving something in my life. He would have been so happy to see me,” Hrithik said. “I wish I could tell him that I met him 11 years ago. But that didn’t happen.”

So he made a silent promise before the final. If he won, the victory would be for Zubeen. “This is my tribute to him,” Hrithik said, his voice carrying both pride and the weight of what could never be.

Hrithik’s rise has been steady and disciplined. Since joining FC Goa in 2019, he worked through the youth and development squads before making his senior debut in the Durand Cup in 2021, where he kept a clean sheet. He spent the next few seasons waiting for his opportunity, learning from senior goalkeepers and fine tuning his game. Patience became part of his training.

This season, that patience paid off. His imposing frame at 190 cm and his composure under pressure have given FC Goa a sense of assurance. Coaches and former players have taken note. Gumpe Rime, an AFC Pro Licence coach, described him as one of the brightest young prospects in India, praising his technique and temperament.

Hrithik has also collected experiences that most young players can only dream of. FC Goa’s AFC Champions League Two fixtures against Al-Nassr gave him the chance to go up against some of the sport’s biggest names, including Sadio Mane and Joao Felix.

“It’s a huge experience,” he said. “To play against a top-class team helps you learn so many things. It gives you confidence and it motivates you to see top players and how they prepare.”

Goa lost both matches, but for Hrithik the lessons were invaluable. He recalls a moment after the match when he spoke to Mane. “I told him he has been one of my favourite players. He smiled and asked, really?” Hrithik said, laughing at the memory.

Earlier this year, he travelled with the Indian national team to Tajikistan for the CAFA Nations Cup, where India won the bronze medal under coach Khalid Jamil. Though he was not in the starting eleven, the call-up marked an important step in his growth.

He now prepares for FC Goa’s last AFC Champions League Two match against FC Istiklol on December 24, carrying the momentum of his Super Cup heroics.

But on Sunday night, amid the celebrations and flashing lights, Hrithik’s thoughts drifted back to a moment on a field in Guwahati many years ago. A boy looking up to an artist who unknowingly left a mark on him. A promise made and kept.

And a victory remembered for more than the trophy it brought home.