He was selected for the Smoka Cup in Poland — his first international. We paid the squad fee, and then the trip was called off. So why sign up at all?
The pull
A first international at this age isn't about the result — it's the standard, the travel, the experience of representing something bigger. The build-up alone (the Coco Cup was part of it) pushed his game on. We went in with eyes open about the cost and the odds.
What it cost when it fell through
The trip was called off over travel uncertainty. Of the ₹85,000 squad fee, ₹69,000 came back — but ₹16,000 in visa fees (₹4,000 a head) did not. That's the line that stings: a real cost for a trip that never happened. The lesson we're carrying: for anything international, understand exactly which parts are refundable before you commit.
The numbers behind this live in The real bill.