Gift Raikhan

{{short description|Indian football manager and former footballer}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Gift Raikhan

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1981|5|25|df=y}}

| birth_place = Mapao Zingtun, Manipur, India

| height =

| position = Left back

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 1999–2000

| clubs1 = Bengal Mumbai

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 2000–2002

| clubs2 = Churchill Brothers

| caps2 =

| goals2 =

| years3 = 2002–2004

| clubs3 = HAL

| caps3 =

| goals3 =

| years4 = 2004–2006

| clubs4 = Indian Bank

| caps4 =

| goals4 =

| years5 = 2005–2006

| clubs5 = → Vasco (loan)

| caps5 =

| goals5 =

| years6 = 2006

| clubs6 = → BEML (loan)

| caps6 =

| goals6 =

| years7 = 2007

| clubs7 = Pune

| caps7 =

| goals7 =

| pcupdate =

| manageryears1 = 2015–2018

| managerclubs1 = NEROCA

| manageryears2 = 2018–2019

| managerclubs2 = Aizawl

| manageryears3 = 2019

| managerclubs3 = Gokulam Kerala (technical director)

| manageryears4 = 2019–2021

| managerclubs4 = NEROCA

}}

Gift Raikhan (born 25 May 1981) is an Indian football coach and a former player who played as a left-back.{{cite web|first=Ritabrata|last=Banerjee|url=https://www.goal.com/en/amp/news/i-league-neroca-fc-sign-gouramangi-singh-fabien-vorbe/1lmm79solquku1w439c84rqzl1|title=NEROCA FC sign Gourmangi Singh and Fabien Vorbe|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512060206/https://www.goal.com/en/amp/news/i-league-neroca-fc-sign-gouramangi-singh-fabien-vorbe/1lmm79solquku1w439c84rqzl1|archive-date=12 May 2021|website=Goal.com|date=17 August 2017|access-date=11 May 2021}} He also managed Manipur football team in Santosh Trophy.

Playing career

During a playing career which spanned six seasons, Raikhan played for BMFC, Churchill Brothers, HAL, Indian Bank, Vasco, BEML, and Pune.{{cite web|title=U20 I-League: Champions Pune FC sign off on all-win note, down Prayag Utd 3–1|url=http://punefc.com/?news=u20-i-league-champions-pune-fc-sign-off-on-all-win-note-down-prayag-utd-3-1|website=punefc.com|publisher=Pune Football Club|access-date=28 July 2012|archive-date=31 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231000500/http://punefc.com/?news=u20-i-league-champions-pune-fc-sign-off-on-all-win-note-down-prayag-utd-3-1|date=18 May 2012|location=Pune, Maharashtra}} He even played in the I-League.{{cite web|title=I-League |url=http://www.indianfootball.de/specials/ileague/01_0_news.php |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130206150342/http://www.indianfootball.de/specials/ileague/01_0_news.php |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 February 2013 |work=Indian Football |accessdate=28 July 2012 }}

His favorite moment of his career was during the 2000 Rovers Cup when he scored for BMFC against Churchill Brothers which helped secure his move to the club.

Coaching career

After retiring in 2007, Raikhan joined the Youth System at Pune. From 2008 to 2010 Raikhan was assistant to Norbert Gonsalvez in coaching the u17 and u15 teams. In 2011, he was promoted to head coach of the Pune F.C. Academy U20 side and in 2012 led the team to a championship by finishing first in the 2012 I-League U20.

In September 2013, it was confirmed that Raikhan had been promoted to the first-team at Pune F.C. as the assistant to new head coach Mike Snoei.{{cite web|title=Pune FC add Gift and goalkeeping coach Glen to team staff|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-09-16/i-league/42113225_1_coach-mike-snoei-head-coach-division-i-league|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230233514/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-09-16/i-league/42113225_1_coach-mike-snoei-head-coach-division-i-league|url-status=dead|archive-date=30 December 2013|work=The Times of India|access-date=29 December 2013}}

In June 2018, Aizawl F.C. announced signing of Raikhan from NEROCA F.C. as head coach for 2018–19 I-League.{{cite web|title=I-League: Aizawl FC snap up Gift Raikhan from NEROCA FC|url=http://www.goal.com/en-in/news/i-league-aizawl-fc-gift-raikhan-neroca-fc/o0pjpx2q7j9u1gly9637qoydn|access-date=6 June 2018|publisher=goal.com|date=6 June 2018|archive-date=10 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180610044909/http://www.goal.com/en-in/news/i-league-aizawl-fc-gift-raikhan-neroca-fc/o0pjpx2q7j9u1gly9637qoydn|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=Gift Raikhan as Head Coach|url=https://www.facebook.com/aizawl.fc/photos/a.529274597138062.1073741827.521405447924977/1899124690153039/?type=3|access-date=6 June 2018|publisher=Aizawl FC (official Facebook page)|date=6 June 2018|archive-date=20 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210720130645/https://www.facebook.com/login/?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Faizawl.fc%2Fphotos%2Fa.529274597138062.1073741827.521405447924977%2F1899124690153039%2F%3Ftype%3D3|url-status=live}}

Managerial statistics

{{updated|8 December 2018}}.

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
rowspan=2! width=150\|Team !rowspan=2! width=120\|From !rowspan=2! width=120\|To !colspan=7\|Record
width=40\|G !width=40\|W !width=40\|D !width=40\|L !width=50\|Win %
align=left\|{{flagicon\|IND}} NEROCA FC \|align=left\|{{nobreak\|2015}} \|align=left\|{{nobreak\|2018}} {{WDL\|34\|20\|8\|6}}
align=left\|{{flagicon\|IND}} Aizawl \|align=left\|{{nobreak\|2018}} \|align=left\|{{nobreak\|2019}} {{WDL\|11\|2\|3\|6}}
align=left\|{{flagicon\|IND}} NEROCA FC \|align=left\|{{nobreak\|2019}} \|align=left\|{{nobreak\|2021}} {{WDL\|16\|5\|3\|8}}
colspan="3"\|Total {{WDLtot\|61\|27\|14\|20}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"

rowspan=2! width=150|Team

!rowspan=2! width=120|From

!rowspan=2! width=120|To

!colspan=7|Record

width=40|G

!width=40|W

!width=40|D

!width=40|L

!width=50|Win %

align=left|{{flagicon|IND}} NEROCA FC

|align=left|{{nobreak|2015}}

|align=left|{{nobreak|2018}}

align=left|{{flagicon|IND}} Aizawl

|align=left|{{nobreak|2018}}

|align=left|{{nobreak|2019}}

align=left|{{flagicon|IND}} NEROCA FC

|align=left|{{nobreak|2019}}

|align=left|{{nobreak|2021}}

colspan="3"|Total

Honours

=Managerial=

NEROCA

I-League 2nd Division: 2016–17{{cite web|url=http://i-league.org/2nd-division-league/delightful-neroca-desperate-to-break-second-division-jinx/|title=Delightful Neroca Desperate To Break Second Division Jinx|website=i-league.org|access-date=18 April 2021|archive-date=24 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180924184509/http://i-league.org/2nd-division-league/delightful-neroca-desperate-to-break-second-division-jinx/|url-status=live}}
I-League runner-up: 2017–18

Individual

I-League Best Coach (Syed Abdul Rahim Award): 2017–18{{cite web|url=http://www.firstpost.com/sports/i-league-2017-18-minerva-punjab-presented-with-winners-trophy-nerocas-gift-raikhan-named-seasons-best-coach-4401551.html|title=I-League 2017–18: Minerva Punjab presented with winners' trophy; NEROCA's Gift Raikhan named season's best coach|date=22 March 2018|access-date=23 March 2018|archive-date=23 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180323220106/http://www.firstpost.com/sports/i-league-2017-18-minerva-punjab-presented-with-winners-trophy-nerocas-gift-raikhan-named-seasons-best-coach-4401551.html|agency=Press Trust of India|location=Chandigarh|website=firstpost.com|publisher=The FirstPost News}}