KURATE (JAPAN): It is a kind of journey that makes people stop and ponder, and gives a deep insight into one of the darkest aspects of humanity.A group of young Indian players, who are currently on a tour of the Reliance Football Development League (RFDL) in Japan, were left heartbroken after visiting the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum on Saturday. In the last days of World War II, the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Japan – “Little Boy” on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, and “Fat Man” on Nagasaki three days later – completely destroying the two cities and killing hundreds of thousands of people. “When I was a student, I had read about this terrible tragedy. But now seeing the pictures here and hearing how humanity suffered on a day like this has left me speechless,” FC Goa youth team coach Israil Gurung told TOI.“At the same time, the museum also provides a timely lesson on how Japan has been able to get back on its feet even though it has faced such destruction of the human race and become a power in the world. This is an important lesson from the sports world as well. Although the great fall is, if you have the desire and strength, nothing can stop you from recovering and reestablishing my message, “I inform the players that I am showing myself. Gurung, a former and I-League champion with Churchill Brothers.Players from Bengaluru FC Reserves led by Renedy Singh and Punjab FC’s youth team led by Praveen Kumar also joined their FC Goa counterparts on a trip down memory lane.“Behind every picture in the gallery, behind everything displayed there, there is a story and a reminder of how life can be changed in seconds,” said Punjab FC coach Praveen. According to him, such massive damage caused by nuclear weapons should always be avoided.“We know about the darkest chapters of history through this journey. War cannot be the solution to our problems and we must live in peace,” he added. The three Indian youth teams, who have finished in the top three of the RFDL 2025-2026, have already played two matches each against Japan U-18.Their last game is on Monday. (The writer is in Japan at the invitation of RFDL.)