International sensation lights up State School Games as Wayanad teen with CP features in inclusive football
Published: October 26, 2026 04:46 PM IST
Kozhikode: The 68th Kerala State School Games began here on Monday, with students from 14 districts competing for the state’s top athletic honours. As the contest unfolds, there are quite a few adding a sense of astonishment to the competition.
Inclusive football was one of the major events to kick off on the opening matchday of the State School Games. With the event reaching the bigger stages, Wayanad was left disappointed after getting knocked out in its very first-round match against Kozhikode. Their star striker Muhammed Ajnas, however, has no time to waste in despair over the defeat. The 18-year-old from Wayanad will need to take it in stride and move on, with some of the biggest opportunities waiting for him on the horizon.
Hailing from Mananthavady in Wayanad, Ajnas has cerebral palsy (CP), a neurological disorder which prevented him from walking in his early days until the age of 7. In an effort to tackle his mobility issues, his doctor advised him to practice tapping a football with his feet to facilitate recurring movement of his lower limbs. The medical advice turned out to be a breath of fresh air for Ajnas, who started dribbling with the ball in close contact, which naturally improved his ball control, eventually helping him to become a footballer.
The beautiful game turned out to become an eternal love for the youngster, who attended a general district football selection only out of his love for the game. Ajnas finished in the top 50 in a selection trial of more than 300 candidates, which caught the eye of TV Jobish, the football academy coach of Kaniyaaram GKM School, where the teen striker was studying.
Ajnas quickly rose through the ranks of the academy, playing against players much older than him, only to consistently find the back of the net. Jobish, impressed with his performance reflecting the highest standards, introduced Ajnas to the CP football category through the Cerebral Palsy Association of Kerala (CPAK), which helped him attend the national team selection camp, after which the forward had not looked back.
Ajnas featured in CP football tournaments, representing India on the international stage against some of the prominent footballing countries like Japan and Iran in the Asia-Oceania CP football tournament. With a long career ahead, Ajnas never compromises on ambition. “I want to be one of the professional football stars in India. Apart from CP football, I aim to play for the Indian national team in the future. My idols are Cristiano Ronaldo and Sunil Chhetri,” says the youngster. With the upcoming CP football tournament set to begin in England, Ajnas will be busy on the training ground chasing his dreams in football.