The battle of boots on the football field keeps Mahmoud al Amna's mind off his war-torn hometown Aleppo in Syria. But off the field, his heart travels 5,500km from west of Mizoram, a state often called an “island of peace”, to his war-torn home. A midfielder, the 34-year-old Amna is the backbone of Aizawl FC, which is on the cusp of creating history if it beats the more fancied Mohun Bagan in a crucial I-League match scheduled on Saturday. (Video courtesy: Rahul Karmakar)