Age is just a number: SC Delhi coach backs performance as Diamond Singh starts with age

Sporting Club Delhi head coach Tomasz Tchorz has sought to keep the focus on football amid the controversy surrounding defender Diamond Singh’s age, insisting that selection should depend on performance rather than a player’s date of birth.

His remarks precede SC Delhi Indian Super League (ISL) clash against Mohun Bagan Super Giant, with questions circulating online over the teenager’s officially stated age. Tchorz said at Thursday’s pre-match press conference that the controversy will not affect his team’s tactics or approach against Mohun Bagan.

“In general, I’m a person who doesn’t really read what’s written on the Internet or follow it closely. It’s obvious that I can be seen online because I share a lot of content. It’s part of the game and also part of our profession. Regardless of what people say, I don’t really care because I have my own evaluation and professional people around me to help me judge things,” said Tchorz.

“If you talk about that particular topic, it doesn’t really affect the game against Mohun Bagan. It’s not related to tactics, strategy or approach to the match, so I’d rather avoid talking about anything that’s not important for that match,” he added.

AGE IS NOT A FACTOR, SAYS TCHORZ

The SC Delhi coach was equally clear about whether age factors into his selection decisions, insisting that a player’s ability will always come first.

“To repeat, for me age is just a number and it will never be a factor that determines who plays and who doesn’t. We can have a player who is 16, 26 or 46. If he’s good, he’ll play. If he’s not good, he won’t play. From my point of view as a coach, it really doesn’t matter,” Tchorz said.

But the coach’s answer was not limited to the choice. With the young player at the center of public debate, he also pointed to the responsibility that comes with vetting budding footballers, especially when questions surrounding them can overshadow their development. Some sections of the fans praised the SC Delhi head coach for debuting Diamond Singh right away. (Image: Screengrab from X/@Akayu06430392)

“However, if something can affect a player’s performance, anyone looking closely at the matter should also understand how to protect the player and how to help the young Indian players improve. We are all working not just for our clubs but for the entire ecosystem,” he added.

WHY DIAMOND SINGH’S AGE IS UNDER SCHEDULE

Diamond made his ISL debut against Bengaluru FC on 10 October when he came on as a substitute in the 74th minute. His officially registered date of birth, 13 June 2010, would have made him 16 and placed him ahead of Punjab FC’s Pramveer Singh as the youngest player in the league. An old video has surfaced suggesting that Diamond Singh could be 19 years old. (Image: Screengrab from X/@chakdefootball) Questions have been raised about Diamond Singh’s real age. (Image: Screengrab from X/@IndianFootu6na)

However, questions were raised after an older video on the Sudeva Sports YouTube channel allegedly listed his date of birth as 6 March 2007. If accurate, that would make him 19 rather than 16. Another claim regarding earlier database lists and academy records added to the scrutiny.

IS AGE MANIPULATION AN OLD PROBLEM IN INDIAN FOOTBALL?

The reason Diamond Singh’s age has become such a topic is because Indian football has been around before. Questions regarding the age of players have arisen at various levels of the game, and some of these cases have resulted in suspensions or expulsions of teams from competitions. That history makes the scrutiny surrounding Diamond understandable, but that doesn’t mean his case has the same outcome.

Take Gourav Mukhi for example. in 2018 Mukhi rose to fame after scoring for Jamshedpur FC against Bengaluru FC and was hailed as the youngest goalscorer in the ISL at the age of 16. Within weeks, however, attention shifted from his success to questions related to his age. The AIFF subsequently found him guilty of age fraud and handed him a six-month suspension in November 2018, while canceling his existing player registration.

The problem is not limited to the professional game either. At youth level, age categories are to ensure that players compete on a fair basis. In August 2024, three teams were disqualified from the sub-junior boys tournament Subroto Cup after bone age estimation tests found they had fielded over-aged players. Each team had more than four players who did not meet the age criteria, resulting in their disqualification.

Recently, the issue came to light as part of the AIFF-FIFA Talent Academy in Odisha. In March 2026, the academy was banned from fielding players outside the prescribed age category in the elite U-18 youth league for the rest of the season after the AIFF’s disciplinary committee found cause in an age manipulation complaint.

It’s no surprise, then, that the discrepancy in Diamond’s records has attracted attention. There is history behind the questions being asked and previous cases explain why supporters want clarity.

But does this history alone warrant viewing Diamond’s case as yet another example of age manipulation before such wrongdoing has been proven?

Indian football has every reason to take age verification seriously. It also has a responsibility to ensure that control does not become a verdict in the court of public opinion. The facts need to be established and the relevant authorities must provide clarity. Until then, the questions surrounding Diamond remain questions, not evidence of wrongdoing.

For SC Delhi, the immediate challenge is football. The club opened their 2026-27 ISL campaign with a 3-2 defeat against Bengaluru FC and will look to respond when they host Mohun Bagan Super Giant at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi on October 16. Mohun Bagan will also be looking for their first points after losing 1-0 to NorthEast United.

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