In this episode, we travel into the world of elite youth football with Minerva Academy — one of India’s most respected football academies, known for developing young talent through discipline, belief, and world-class training.

We meet Chetan Tiwari (14) from Minerva Academy U14, whose journey recently reached an international milestone at the Norway Cup — the world’s largest youth football tournament.

Minerva Academy’s U14 team emerged as champions, marking a proud moment not just for the academy, but for Indian grassroots football on a global stage.

Beyond the win, this episode is about:

• What it takes to compete internationally at a young age
• The unseen discipline behind success
• Family sacrifice, belief, and resilience
• How Indian youth football is finding its place globally

As Chetan shares, his journey is inseparable from his older brother — who gave up his own dream so Chetan could live his.

In this episode of The First and Only, Ranjit Bajaj — founder of Minerva Academy — shares how he’s transforming Indian football from the grassroots. With 183,000 annual applications and no government or corporate backing, Minerva has produced champions who’ve won the Norway Cup, Dana Cup, and World Youth Cup.

Ranjit talks about spotting raw rural talent, building discipline and belief in young players, and what India must change to become a true football nation. A powerful conversation about opportunity, ambition, and the future of Indian football.