Rural boys keep Sikkim soccer legacy intact

Gangtok, July 25: A group of under-16 players from an academy at Central Pendam in East district is set to preserve the rich legacy of rural Sikkim’s contribution towards football.

Teenagers from Gram Vikash Sangathan Football Academy have caught everyone’s attention in the ongoing second division S-League at Paljor Stadium here.

The children studying in classes below XII have scored three victories against teams consisting of much senior players and have lost only one match in the tournament.

With nine points so far, the GVS Football Academy is in the second position in Group A of the league and plays the final match on August 20.

Gram Vikash Sangathan is an NGO, which floated its own football academy in 2008 as a sporting extension of a host of social welfare activities it conducts.

“It was an initiative by like-minded individuals and today, we have 25 students selected from the rural areas of Sikkim during the winter camps we organise every year at Central Pendam. They are all studying in Central Pendam senior secondary school now,” said academy manager Karma Zigmee Bhutia.

“When we first started the camps, our intention was to just attract children to football. But we were overwhelmed by the response from the students and parents and decided to start the academy.”

The GVS boys have already scored brownie points by their performance in the S-League. Football fans hope the GVS players will inherit the soccer legacy left by the likes of Bhaichung Bhutia.

The Himalayan state’s celebrated footballers trace their roots to villages.

While Bhaichung hails from the remote Tinkitam village in South Sikkim, East Bengal players Nirmal Chettri and Sanju Pradhan are from Melli in South Sikkim and Sombarey in West district respectively. United Sikkim Football Club player Nim Tshering Lepcha is also from Dzongu, a village in North Sikkim.

The recruits picked from South, East and West districts are given accommodation in a hostel run by the academy. They are trained by former footballers Michael Lepcha and Bharat Tamang at the ground of Central Pendam senior secondary school everyday.

“Our boys have natural and technical skills. What they lack is match experience as all of them are under 16. They have not played many matches before and are now taking part in second division tournament of the state league. No matter how much we train these children, they can blossom only after playing regular competitive matches. Match experience is very vital,” said Lepcha, a former Santosh Trophy player.

Academy manager Bhutia was all praise for Central Pendam senior secondary school principal Suchitra Subba. “Whenever we select promising players from distant areas, the school readily admits them, facilitating their entry into the academy. Besides, the school ground is available at all times for practice,” said Bhutia.

The academy wants to hone the skills of their promising recruits and give them a launch pad to earn fame and money in bigger clubs in future. The students have been divided into two age groups, U-14 and U-16.

“The parents of these students have been extremely co-operative and helpful. Each student has to pay Rs 1,100 per month and the GVS bears the remaining expenses. Each student’s expense comes around Rs 2,200 a month and we are managing the cost with great difficulties,” said Bhutia.

~the telegraph