Latey Bhakundo

The new set of jerseys which will be donned by the players of Sanju Football Academy, Sombaria in the upcoming season was launched by Mr M.N. Sherpa, Minister of Power & Labour Department, Government of Sikkim on Saturday. CLC President, Sikkim Krantikari Morcha, Mr Tika Hang Subba was also present during the program.  The Jerseys along with rest of kits is designed and manufactured by Ambition Sportswear, a Kolkata based company, which has been producing top quality products since it's inception in 2007.  "I am very happy to see sponsors coming in for Sanju Football Academy and credit goes to Sanju Pradhan who himself is from the remotest part of sikkim and with sheer dedication and determination, he is able to reach the highest level an individual can reach. I also personally thank, Ambition Sportswear for sponsoring the jerseys along with other kits for the Academy". Said Minister Mr MN Sherpa.  Sanju Football Academy was represented at the function by it's Pre...

Gangtok: Indian International footballer from Sikkim, Sanju Pradhan was honored with Apollo Tyres "Go the Distance Heroes Award" on Tuesday.  Through the Go The Distance Heroes campaign, Apollo Tyres aims to profile and gratify personalities who are positively impacting the Indian sporting ecosystem by creating access to sport for the community. Sanju has been chosen this year due to the work he has put in at "Sanju Football Academy." An Academy launched in his name in 2013 with the support of some like minded people from Sombaria, his home village. This Centre has been imparting quality football training to the boys from some remote parts of West Sikkim.  "I am very grateful to Apollo Tyres for choosing me as their Go The Distance Hero and giving me this Award. I dedicate this to all the football lovers of Sikkim as I think this award is not just for me but for my home state of Sikkim as well. It's always nice to be appreciated for the good work you  are d...

We are not aware of a lot of footballers who have done wonders during their playing days but are not much in the limelight after they end their careers. One such player is Avinash Thapa who was born in Kolkata and played most of his football there and at Goa. As a kid, Avinash was inspired by seeing his brother play and quickly fell in love with the beautiful game himself. He grew up to become a midfielder of repute but now is in the shadows. We have tried to shed some light on this former star’s football career. Samar Banerjee “Badru” an ex-Olympian and captain of the national team and a household name during his playing days in Kolkata was Avinash's first coach. Then he trained under Ranju Dutt (Ranju da) and started to play age-group matches. Though Ranju Dutt was not a well-known coach, the young boy learned a lot about how the game is played through him. Avinash quickly proved his mettle and was soon playing in the national tournaments. In 1998-99, he represented Bengal in the...

Chandra Kumar Rai a former British Army soldier is currently the coach of Share Football Club Kalimpong. He holds a coaching certificate from the prestigious Football Association of England. A man who is bent at serving the game of football in his home town, over the years he has turned down many offers from the Clubs across the country to be their coach. He has coached a generation of footballers from Kalimpong and his name is taken with respect in the hills. A very humble and down to earth person Chandra Kumar Rai does not like to talk too much about himself. Some people are surprised by his modest ways.  Doing is much more important to him than talking. It always takes a bit of convincing, for him to share his football story and after quite an effort finally, he sat back and started "Well if you insist, all I can remember about my childhood days was my attraction towards football. I grew up in Penang, Malaysia and in our school, we had to choose our area of interest from differ...

Crispin Chettri (AIFF A Licensed Coach) from Kurseong has been appointed as an Assistant Coach of Mohammedan Sporting Club of Kolkata. The Black Panthers have recently qualified for the I-League. It is good opportunity for Crispin to hone his skills under the Spanish Head Coach, Mr.Jose Hevia who is a UEFA Pro-licensed with more than 25 years of experience. Prior to this Crispin had worked as a coach at Lonestar Kashmir FC. As a player Crispin played professional football for more than a decade with various clubs like Chirag United, Pune FC and East Bengal to name a few. In 1999 he had represented the country in the Asia Youth Championship.

The hills of Darjeeling is famous around the world for its scenic beauty and the high-quality tea it produces. The town also hits the headlines with regards to its struggle for a separate state of Gorkhaland on regular intervals. However, as a visitor to the Queen of Hills if you dig dipper there are more layers to this hill station. Darjeeling is also home to some top quality musicians and it will not be an overstatement to say 9 out of 10 people in Darjeeling can play the Guitar.  Most of the positive aspects of Darjeeling has been overshadowed a bit in the recent past, football probably is one of them. Once a very popular sport with the town hosting the Brigade of Gorkha's Gold Cup or simply The Darjeeling Gold Cup. Top teams from across the country used to come and participate in this tournament. Darjeeling has also produced a number of talented footballers over the years. This is a story of one of them who is somewhat in the shadows in the present times. This player went all t...

Mumbai City FC have today announced the signing of goalkeeper Phurba Lachenpa. The 22-year-old joins the Islanders on a contract that will keep him at the club until 2024. A graduate of the Shillong Lajong FC Academy, Lachenpa signed a professional contract with the Meghalaya-based club in 2015. The Sikkemese shot-stopper made 24 appearances during his four seasons there, before signing for fellow I-League club Real Kashmir in 2019. A regular starter in Real Kashmir’s fourth-placed finish last season in the I-League, Lachenpa impressed as he kept 8 clean sheets in 19 appearances across all competitions, conceding only 17 goals in the process. The youngster will join goalkeeper Amrinder Singh in the goalkeeping contingent at Mumbai City. Phurba Lachenpa said “It’s a proud moment for me, taking the next step of my career and committing my future to a club of Mumbai City’s stature. I’ve enjoyed my football and my journey so far but I’m only getting started. I know I have to work harder an...