ISL
ISL: Hormipam Ruivah, Dimitrios Diamantakos extend stay with Kerala Blasters
Key players Hormipam Ruivah and Dimitrios Diamantakos have signed contract extensions with Kerala Blasters.
Hormipam Ruivah and Dimitrios (image via KBFC IG)
Defender Hormipam Ruivah and forward Dimitrio Diamantakos have signed contract extensions with Indian Super League outfit Kerala Blasters.
While the young centre-back has extended his stay till 2027, the Greek marksman has penned a one-year extension, with the option to extend that based on performance.
The supporters of the Yellow Army have consistently expressed their displeasure at losing important foreign players every year, but last year they were successful in getting multi-year contracts extended for Adrian Luna and Marko Leskovic.
Alvaro Vasquez and Jorge Diaz were eventually lost to competitors, but the Blasters have now managed to keep the services of Dimitrios. The striker has managed to rack up impressive numbers in his debut year in India, proving his doubters wrong. He scored 10 goals and provided three assists in 20 games, and was the top scorer for Kerala Blasters this campaign.
Hormipam is one of the brightest prospects and perhaps one of the finest centre-backs in the current crop of Indian Football. He is a massive force at the heart of Kerala Blasters' back-line despite only being 21-years-old. The youngster started his career with Minerva Punjab when he was 18 and signed for Kerala Blasters in 2021.
Even in the now ended 2022-23 season, Ruivah was an omnipresent part of Ivan Vukomanovic's defence as the player featured in all their games, which includes 19 starts from a possible 20 in the regular league stage.
Despite attracting offers from competitor clubs, KBFC managed to extend the Manipur-born defender to a five-year contract that expires in 2027, with his old contract ending in the summer of 2024.
The club has also extended the contract of young midfielder Vibin Mohanan who shone in the last few league games, along with young keeper Sachin Suresh till 2026. Another academy product Nihal Sudeesh has also committed three more years with the Blasters. The Kerala-based club has emphasized its ambition to maintain its core team with the renewals.
