From Shillong Lajong to Nongkseh: A homegrown leader’s new mission

The result may not have gone their way, but for Hardy Cliff Nongbri and Nongkseh Sports Social & Cultural Club, July 31, 2026, will forever remain one of the most significant days in the club’s history.

When Nongbri led his hometown club onto the pitch against Shillong Lajong FC in their opening Group E fixture of the 135th IndianOil Durand Cup, it marked far more than just another football match. It was the culmination of a remarkable rise that had taken Nongkseh from the lower divisions of Meghalaya football to competing in India’s oldest and Asia’s oldest football tournament in just a matter of seasons. While the 2-0 defeat to the experienced Shillong outfit underlined the challenges that accompany such a leap, it did little to diminish the significance of the occasion.

For Nongbri, it was another chapter in a football journey that began not in packed stadiums or professional academies, but on the rough village grounds of Meghalaya.

“I started playing football when I was around seven or eight years old with my friends in our village,” the 29-year-old recalled. “We didn’t have professional facilities or expensive equipment, but our passion for the game was enough. Playing on those rough grounds taught me discipline, teamwork and the importance of never giving up.”

Like countless youngsters growing up in Meghalaya, football wasn’t simply a sport – it was part of everyday life. Every match played on uneven village fields strengthened a dream that would eventually take him through some of the biggest institutions in state football.

His breakthrough came in 2009 when he was selected for the Meghalaya Under-13 team after impressing in a district tournament. That opportunity opened the doors to the Sports Authority of India Training Centre in Shillong before he joined Shillong Lajong’s youth setup in 2011.

Over the next several years, Nongbri steadily developed into one of Meghalaya’s dependable defenders, eventually earning his place in Shillong Lajong’s senior I-League squad. Along the way, he drew inspiration from experienced campaigners who shaped his understanding of the game.

“I admired players like Aiborlang Khongjee and Rokus Lamare. Watching the way they trained and played inspired me a lot,” he said.

By then, Nongbri had already built a respectable football career. Having represented Shillong Lajong in the I-League and captained the club during its successful campaigns, few would have expected him to move to a side still climbing through Meghalaya’s football pyramid.

Yet, when Nongkseh approached him ahead of the 2025 season, he saw an opportunity that went beyond divisions and trophies.

“The president shared his vision with me,” Nongbri explained. “He didn’t want Nongkseh to remain just another club playing in Shillong. He wanted to build the club step by step – from I-League 3 to I-League 2 and hopefully one day the ISL. That vision matched mine.”

It wasn’t an easy decision. Before committing, Nongbri discussed the move with his family, who supported his choice. More importantly, he believed in the honesty and ambition of club president Daniel M. Thangkhiew.

Instead of viewing Nongkseh as a step backwards, he saw the chance to become part of something being built from the ground up.

That belief has already been rewarded.

In the space of a single season, Nongkseh collected four trophies, including the 5th Meghalaya State League (MSL) and winners of the 2025 SSA Champions Cup, along with the prestigious All India Chief Minister’s Gold Cup in Sikkim. Victories over established teams such as NEROCA FC, Red Panda FC and BSF Jalandhar reinforced the belief inside the dressing room that they belonged on a much bigger stage.

“Winning the Chief Minister’s Gold Cup means the most to me,” Nongbri said. “It is a prestigious tournament, and winning it with Nongkseh made it very special.”

The success, however, wasn’t built on individual brilliance alone.

For Nongbri, the biggest transformation has been the collective mentality within the squad.

“We have very good players and a very good coach. Every tournament gave us confidence. Beating teams like NEROCA showed us that we deserved to compete at this level. That’s what motivated us.”

That confidence ultimately earned Nongkseh a place in the 135th IndianOil Durand Cup, a reward for one of the most remarkable rises in recent Meghalaya football.

Although this is Nongbri’s third appearance in the Durand Cup – having previously featured with Shillong Lajong – leading Nongkseh into the competition carries a significance unlike anything he has experienced before.

“The Durand Cup is a prestigious tournament,” he said. “I’m very happy that Nongkseh has been invited to be part of it. Football fans across Shillong and the villages are excited because the tournament is coming here again, and we’re proud to represent them.”

Representing Nongkseh, however, means much more than captaining a football team.

The club’s identity is deeply rooted in the community whose name it carries, and that connection is something Nongbri values immensely.

“It’s not just a community we represent,” he said. “We are a family that fights for everything – for the fans and for Nongkseh. Every player gives 100 per cent for this club.”

That spirit has helped transform Nongkseh from a traditional community club into one of Meghalaya’s fastest-rising football stories. While the Durand Cup has brought national attention, those inside the club insist this is only one milestone in a much longer journey.

The opening defeat against Shillong Lajong may have delayed the club’s search for its first Durand Cup points, but it has not altered the long-term vision. With another crucial Group E encounter against Langsning FC on August 6, Nongkseh have another opportunity to show why they earned their place among India’s leading clubs.

For Nongbri, one result will never define the project.

His ambitions stretch far beyond a single tournament.

“My main target is to take Nongkseh higher,” he said. “Step by step, we want to reach I-League 3, then I-League 2, and one day the ISL. That’s my dream.”

It is a dream that mirrors the club’s own aspirations.

For a player who could have comfortably remained elsewhere, choosing Nongkseh was never about taking the easier road. It was about helping build something meaningful in his own backyard.

As Nongkseh prepare for the next chapter of their maiden IndianOil Durand Cup campaign, their captain remains focused not on what has already been achieved, but on what still lies ahead. The club has already completed one extraordinary journey – from village football to the grand stage of the Durand Cup.

If Hardy Cliff Nongbri has his way, that journey is only just beginning.