The one that got away — selected, prepared, but never travelled.
Avyaan was selected for his first international and trained hard for it — the Coco Cup was part of that build-up. The trip was ultimately called off over flight and travel uncertainty during the Iran–US tensions. The tournament never happened for him, but the preparation was real, so it stays on the record.
Goals and assists are family-recorded from match reports, video and observation — grassroots tournaments don’t keep official stats. How we keep the record.
The Smoka Cup is Poland's premier U-10 youth tournament, held in Wieliczka near Kraków and drawing many of Europe's top grassroots academies. Sporthood takes a squad each year — in 2025 their U-10s finished 5th of 32 — as a complete, managed international experience: competitive matches, friendlies, daily mentorship and sightseeing, with flights, visas, stay and insurance handled end to end.
The competitionPart of Smoka Cup
More detailFull tournament details are on the official tournament page
To fillThe posters, brochures, rules & guidelines and any other materials from the organisers will be archived here.
To fillThe squad for this tournament is still to be added.
To fillThe coaches for this tournament are still to be added.
To fillThe match-by-match record for this tournament is still to be added.
An international call-up is a big moment at any age. Avyaan trained hard for Kraków — the Coco Cup in Kochi was part of the build-up, a way to test himself in new conditions and against unfamiliar teams before the trip.
He put in the work as if the plane was already booked. That part was real, whatever came next.
As the dates neared, flight and travel uncertainty during the Iran–US tensions made the journey too risky, and the trip was called off. No matches, no minutes — the tournament simply never happened for him.
We kept it on the record anyway. Not every chapter is a scoreline; some are about the preparation, the disappointment, and learning that not everything is in your control.
What it taught him — on the pitch and off it.Coming soon
The candid read: what stood out, and what still needs work.Coming soon
In the coach’s own words.Coming soon
What other parents noticed, and shared.Coming soon
Photos and moments from the tournament.Coming soon
The off-pitch record — dashes mark what’s still to be recorded.
To fillAvyaan’s own words on this tournament are still to be added.
To fillA sideline note on this tournament is still to be added.