Football in Kalimpong

Introduction

Kalimpong is a town which is located in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. It’s a beautiful hill station perched at an altitude of about 4500 feet above msl. Its population comprises of predominantly Indian Nepali or the Gorkha community along with sizeable Marwari, Bengali, Bhutia and the Tibetian community.

History of football in Kalimpong

Football as a game was introduced to the locals by the Britishers in the latter part of the 18^th century. The missionaries were the first to play an organized form of football in Kalimpong according to some of the senior citizens.Satal Singh Trophy which was started in the year 1939 is said to be the oldest tournament of the town. Then in the 1947 after India gained its freedom, an Independence Shield was started. The league football named after Kaluram Mintri ( A well known and respected businessman of that time) was started in the 40’s.One more tournament called Sudama Shield was also played during this period..Then in 1954-55 Governor's Cup was started where only two teams Sikkim and the host Kalimpong participated and the latter emerged victories. The inaugural edition was more like and exhibition match. From the following year a proper tournament was played. Raja S.T. Dorjee Gold Cup was another tournament which was started in the late 60’s along with Kumar Jigme Dorjee Shield. But all this tournaments came to an abrupt halt during the Gorkhaland agitation of the 80’s.Post Agitation only one tournament was revived, the Independence Shield which attracts capacity crowds to the Mela Ground (The main football stadium of Kalimpong).Teams from the neighboring countries of Bhutan and Nepal along with other good teams from within the country come and participate in this tournament.Shahid Cup is another tournament which came into existence after the Gorkhaland agitation. This tournament is held annually during the month of July. As the name indicates the tournament is held to honor the martyrs who sacrified their lives for the sake of Gorkhaland during the agitation. To sum up Kalimpong has 3 main tournaments in the present time- The Independence,Shahid Cup and the Kalimpong League.

Kalimpong League

Till last year there was only one division in the league but from this year its has been divided into three divisions. The Super Divison,1^st Division and the Mini Division.

Super Division

Six teams play in this divison.In a round robin format.2 teams gets relegated to 1^st divison and and 2 teams are promoted.

1^st Division

This divison comprises of 17 teams. Mostly school teams along with some club sides.

Mini Division

In this division only the schools students who are currently studying in class VIII and below are allowed to participate. There are some more interesting criteria for players to qualify in this category. The outfield  players should be 95 points and below and the goalkeeper has to be 104 points and below (one kg equals to 1 point, 1 cm = 1 point)

All the tournaments in Kalimpong is organized by the Kalimpong Sports Association (Estd, 1947).The Association believes that by having this 3 tier system, young footballers will get introduced to competitive game at an early age and will help them in the long run as they will be playing against some established players in the league.The Association also runs a non-residential football Academy called the Kalimpong Football Academy.

International players from Kalimpong

-Jerry Basi

-Lt Pem Dorji- captained India

-L.B. Basnet (Services)

-Lt Ravilal Lama (Gorkha Regiment)

-R.B. Gurung (Gorkha Regiment)

-Bikash and Vijay (Services)

Major teams during the 1930’s were

-Young man Christian Club

-St Andrews Colonial Homes (Dr Graham’s Homes)

-Industrial School

-Scottish University Mission Institution (S.U.M.I)

Major teams in the 40’s and 50’s

-Reat Raft

-Ex Army

-S.U.M.I.

-Motor Sporting Merchant

-Friends Union Club

-D.N.S.K.H.S

-Himalayan Sporting Industrial

School Football in Kalimpong

All the schools of the town have very decent teams and have brought back lots of laurels to Kalimpong.One school namely the Scottish University Mission Institution has a rich tradition with regards to football. This schools impact is such that, if you see a good footballer in Kalimpong you can bet you life that 9 out of 10 times the player is sure to be a student of S.U.M.I.The school has represented the town in the D.C. Memorial Cup and won it 3 times. In 1967 S.U.M.I reached the Quarter finals of the prestigious Subroto Mukherjee Tournament in Delhi. The following Year they once again became Bengal Champions and represented the state in the Subrato Cup. This time they reached the semi-finals.Last year S.U.M.I again became the State Champions after 40 years and went to Delhi and participated in the Subrato Cup but they bowed out of the tournament in the league stage.

Main Clubs of Kalimpong (Present day)

-Apex Club

-Kalimpong Football Club

-Kalimpong Football Academy

-Gorkha Youth Club

-Himal-Shree Athletic Club ( A very well known club which has unfortunately ceased to exist)

Problem faced by the football administrators and players in Kalimpong

Although the passion for football which the town has can be compared to Kolkata or any other major football centres of the country. There are many problems faced by the people associated with the game.

Financial Problems

As the town of Kalimpong or for that matter the entire Darjeeling district doesn’t have big industries its very difficult to arrange for finances. There is an acute lack of sponsors which is hampering the progress of football in Kalimpong.The tournaments are run from the donations and the tickets sale money. The clubs also face this problem as they also can’t attract any sponsors. The club officials shell out money from their own money and run the clubs. Its only the passion of the people which has kept the game alive in Kalimpong.

Infrastructure

The Kalimpong town has only one public football stadium, The Mela Ground which lacks even the basic facilities and the surface is sandy where the chance of players getting injured is very high. This is also the reason why the teams from Kalimpong find it hard to match their opponents in the plains as they have to adjust to the grassy field where the movement of the ball is completely different from the sandy surface.

Lack of opportunities for the players

There are no proper facilities for training in Kalimpong.There is also no Academy and good clubs who can compete at the State level, so many talented players don’t have the platform to show thier talent and attract big clubs towards them. Many players who have it in them to play at the highest level, play around the town and the district and vanish which is sad.

Photo Courtesy- Akhilesh Raj Gurung

Information Courtesy- Gyaltshen Dorjee Moktan

(This article was originally written for indianfootball.com in June,2009) 

`

Football in the Land of the Thunder Dragon

(This article was originally written for indianfootball.com on September 2009) 

It is a known fact that football’s popularity around the world cannot be questioned. Football is without any shadow of doubt the most popular sport in the world. In Bhutan too it’s no different; the Landlocked Himalayan Kingdom also shares that special bond with the Beautiful game. Football enjoys tremendous popularity amongst the masses. After football Archery and Basketball are other two disciplines which interest the Bhutanese. The passion for the beautiful game started picking up in the country after the Bhutan Football Federation was set up in the year 1983, the BFF worked towards improving infrastructure and popularizing the game in the country under the Royal patronage. In 2000 Bhutan Football Federation got FIFA’s affiliation which further boosted the progress of football in the country which is known as the “Land of the Thunder Dragon”

Football first started catching the fancy of the Bhutanese people in the fifties when Schools started opening up in the Haa and Paro regions. The teachers were recruited from foreign countries and it was them who introduced football to Bhutan. But the credit for popularizing the game and taking it to the masses, even before the BFF was formed  goes to the Bhutanese Students who went to the foreign countries in pursuit of further education and when they retuned they also bought back the knowledge about football and passed it on to the natives.

Bhutan had a strong national side from 1970 to 1984.Teams from the country participated in major tournaments abroad  and lifted many trophies. Bhutan reached the finals of ANFA Cup (All Nepal Football Association), an international tournament four times. Teams from countries like China, Hong Kong, India, Korea, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka used to participate in this tournament. At present the national team is managed by Khare Basnett (Khare), a renowned footballer of his times.

On June 30, 2002,Bhutan National team was involved in a very interesting and an unusual match, on the day when the World Cup final was played, Bhutan, then the second-lowest ranked team in the world, recorded their first victory ever. They played against the lowest ranked team, Montserrat, in a friendly match jokingly referred to as "The Other Final", winning 4-0 at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan. "The Other Final" was organized by a group of Dutch filmmakers.

Prior to the 2010 World Cup qualification round, Bhutan football suffered a set back as they were the only FIFA member not to have attempted to qualify for the World Cup. Bhutan withdrew from the qualifying rounds because their stadium would not be ready in time for their match vs. Kuwait. That was the low point but in the 2008 South Asian Football Federation Cup tournament, Bhutan reached the Semifinals, where they lost, a hard fought battle narrowly to India (2 - 1).

Bhutan also has league football in place,(Bhutan Premier League) which is run in a very amateur way but  its contribution cannot be ignored, it has  helped many players to develop in the country.BPL is contested by eight teams and is keenly followed by the people. Some of the teams playing in the BPL are Transport United (the most successful team), Yeedzin FC, Druk Star FC and the Royal Bhutan Army. 

So we can see Bhutan has seen both ups and downs in football but with improving facilities and a growing enthusiasm among the younger generations, the future of football in this tiny Himalayan Kingdom looks bright. The construction of the state of the art Changlimithang Stadium, the first International standard facility  in the country is one of the positive steps Bhutan has taken. With a boost in Corporate Sector, the future of Bhutanese Football seems well on course and seeks to find its right footing in the World Football scene, as well as in the Asian Football fraternity.  It’s about time now when the thunder dragon will strike and announce its arrival on the world football scene with a streak of lightning and that loud bang!

*This article was written with the help of Keshav Gurung who is based in Thimphu (Bhutan)

UKFC ORGANISED FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT KICKS-OFF

United Kurseong Football Club (UKFC),a renowned football team from the Hills of Darjeeling, as name indicates based in the sub-divisional town of Kurseong will be hosting a football tournament to honour its former Player Ladup Lama and Manager Chand Pradhan. The first match of  the tournament was played today. This event is also supported by Kurseong Gorkha Hill Sports Association (KGHSA) and the football loving people of the hill town.

Ladup Lama was an exceptional Stopper of his times and was an integral part of the UKFC team along with Dinker Chettri and Crispin Chettri.I remember Ladup Lama’s game in the Independence Cup,Gangtok 1997.He was brilliant throughout the tournament giving tough time to the Opposing Strikers in that process helping his team lift the Trophy. I must say here Ladup Lama is the best stopper I have seen in our parts without a shadow of doubt. After the finals I went and met him at their hotel and we had a brief interaction. He came across as a very humble person a sharp contrast to the tough attitude he showed on the field. It’s a fitting tribute by UKFC to the man who always loved to play football.

I must admit here that I don’t know much about Chand Pradhan but according to Crispin Chettri he was a die-hard football fan and was the man behind launching of the United Kurseong Football Club in the year 1989 and it was he who has coined the club’s name.

The tournament which is in its second year will be officially called “2nd Ladup,Chand Memorial Invitational Football Tournament”.It has dual goals, one is to honour UKFC’s beloved members Ladup Lama and Chand Pradhan and second is to bring about a revival of football in the hills

The winner of the tournament will be awarded Rs 50,000 and the runners-up will get richer by Rs 25,000.There will be a total of ten teams in the fray with the home team going in with two teams one will be their Junior side called Young Gorkha Football Club. The Final is slated to be played on the 21st of December.

It might be added here that United Kurseong Football Club is also planning to try for a berth in the I-League Division 2. The ground work is almost complete and by hosting this tournament the UKFC management wants to give its players that much needed exposure.

United Kurseong Football Club has always been a tourch bearer of Football in the Darjeeling hills since its inception in the year 1989.During the 1990’s it was a force do be reckon with, in the Darjeeling District and the neighboring state of Sikkim, winning almost all the tournaments in this area, Now with the hosting of the “2nd Ladup, Chand Memorial Football Tournament” UKFC has once again proved that there is something special about this club and has set a benchmark for other Clubs to emulate.

Photo Courtesy- Keshav Tamang

LIST OF PARTICIPATING TEAMS

United Kurseong Football Club

Young Gorkha Football Club (UKFC Junior team)

Dharan XI (Nepal)

Chandragari FC (Nepal)

North Bengal State Transport Corporation (Siliguri)

Denzong Boyz ( Gangtok)

United Sikkim FC (Gangtok)

Tarun Sangha (Kolkata)

Kalimpong XI

Dogra Regiment

MY DATE WITH THE LEGENDS

Every football fan dreams about meeting their heroes. The stars and the legends who have always entertained them. It’s the same with me. I remember running around Footballers when I was a kid trying to shake their hands, back home in Gangtok when they used to come and play at the All India Governors Gold Cup Football Tournament. During those days I.M. Vijayan was a big star in Indian football, I clearly remember shaking his hands and nervously telling him “Well played”.

After I came down to Kolkata things which I had never thought about started happening to me.I had never dreamt about meeting the biggest legends of World Football. But here in Kolkata that dream without even me dreaming it started coming true. I had the opportunity of a life-time on 27^th May 2008, when I got a chance to watch one of the greatest goalkeepers to have played the game Oliver Kahn in action and later shake hands with him. He was here in Kolkata for his farewell match against Mohun Bagan with the Bayern Munich team. This handshake happened only because of my quick thinking. I was in the Zee Sports production crew and as we were doing the live telecast of that match I was put up at the control room to assist in match stats and graphics. So I had to watch the match in the control room monitor.When Oliver Kahn was substituted during the second half after his team had scored three goals. I quickly told my Producer to kindly manage the stats for a while so that I could go out and shake his hand. The Producer agreed and I was out in a flash. I waited at the tunnel and there came that huge frame of Oliver Kahn, walking slowing towards the dressing room. I adjusted my Zee Sports ID card to make sure that he noticed that I had access to that place. Next thing I remember, I was shaking his hands and blurted out “Pleasure to meet you Sir”. Kahn smiled and said “Thank you” in a German accent and walked away. I was in awe. I just could not believe it. Only regret I have from that day is I did not carry a camera or a mobile phone with a “camera” otherwise I could have had that picture with a legend. A day before this event I also got a chance to say hello to Van Bommel.It was at the Calcutta Cricket and Football Club (CCFC) where a kids football clinic was organized. We had gone there with Zee Sports to cover the event. Many small sized grounds were created and in one of the grounds Van Bommel was helping the kids with short passing basics, one of the kid mis-timed his pass and ball came towards my direction and Bommel came running to fetch it. When he was picking up the ball I said “Hello Van” he looked at me and said “Hello,how are you”.I was  taken aback as I was not expecting more than just a “Hello”. I could only say “Yes” and by the time I completed my sentence he had rejoined the kids in the middle.

                      

Then on the 6^th of December came the biggest moment of my life as a football fan. The “Football God” himself had descended to Kolkata and I had the opportunity to attend his Press Conference at the ITC Sonar Bangla hotel. We reached there pretty early and we were taken to the make shift Press Area which was created at the hotel lawns. I just sat there and started to get excited to see non other than  Diego Armando Maradona himself. Many call him God and I am also one of them. Never saw him play live but my Dad’s story about him and the recorded videos of his matches was enough for me to become his follower. During my school days I had pasted his picture on my school dairy which a caption “God of Football” and had always dreamt to be like him one day. Now I know those were childish fantasies as I firmly believe there can be no another Maradona.Many legends have already failed in front of him so who was I to even dream about such a possibility. There were nearly hundred media people there and all of them had that look of excitement on there faces. That day I think all the journalist had become fans. I also over-heard one scribe talking to another about a possibility of a photo op with the “God”. But the security was tight and we were kept ten feet away from the dais. It did not matter to me at all as I was over the moon just to be there. I thought I will just sit there and listen to the God answering the questions. Then the moment came someone shouted “He is coming” and there was a chaos with the camera-persons running to get the best shot and some of the journos even trying to break the barrier and ask Maradona some questions, but none of them succeeded and he was quickly taken to the Dais. Someone threw a ball at him. He caught it and put it on his head to balance it but the ball didn’t stay on his head. He caught it and said something in Spanish followed with a wink! his interpreter quickly translated that for us so we could also understand the sense of humour.He had said “Out of touch thesedays,not good anymore”. But in the very next moment he proved that his ball skills were still intact, he not only balanced the ball on his head, he also joggled it with his shoulders, taking turns with his head, what made this special was that he was doing all these in such a limited area. After that he gave a thumbs and sat down. Made a short speech about his visit and the question, answer session with the Press started. I had already decided I will not ask any questions as I was in awe of the God and also didn’t want to make myself a fool in front of so many senior sports Reporters. Simply put I was too nervous to ask any questions. So I just sat there. Towards the end I suddenly felt an urge to ask him a question and started mustering courage to ask for the microphone. Courage finally arrived and it was at the nick of time, as mine was the last question he took I didn’t know how to address him Sir? Mr. Maradona? Maradona? or simply Diego?.With that confusion in mind. I got up asked for the microphone and there I went  choosing the last option “Diego! Diego! This side” I said. The God looked at me and I could hear myself on the loud speakers, I was trembling like anything but also I asked him the question “Diego I have heard that people have built churches in your name and they go and worship you, How to you feel to be compared with God? He looked at the interpreter nodded and quickly replied in Spanish and smiled. The interpreter in turn translated that to English “It’s nice to be compared with God. But I have never felt like god but you can call me God of Football if you want to”. Felt a little proud next morning as all the newspapers had carried the question which I had asked.

Will write about Diego Forlan in my next post and will conclude this write up.

Photograph Courtesy- www.kolkatafootball.com

           ARMY XI LIFTS THE DARJEELING GOLD CUP

The finals of the All India Brigade of Gorkha Gold Cup Football Tournament  between the Kolkata League first division side Southern Samity and Army XI  was played today 21^st November, at the St Joseph’s College (School Department) Ground. The match kicked off at 2 pm amidst a huge turnout of football fans. The tournament had started on the 12^th of this month with 12 teams in the fray.

It was Army XI’s day and the final score read 2-0 in favor of the soldiers. The Army men dominated the match with their quick passing football and took the lead through Gordon Zoramthanga in the 19^th minute. They had some more chances to score but could not capitalize. Southern Samity on the other had only one chance which their forward squandered.

The half-time score read 1-0 in favor of Army XI.It was the same story in the second half with Army XI creating most of the scoring chances. They scored very early into the second half, in the 59^th minute Gordon Zoramthanga,struck home yet again  after a one two with his fellow striker he tapped in an easy goal, which was enough for his team to lift the Darjeeling Gold Cup.

The second half  also took a physical turn with players from both the sides going in for some tough tackles, but the referee had total control on the match and he didn’t allow the situation to turn ugly.After the final whistle. The Chief Guest, G.D. Goutam,Additional Home Secretary Government of West Bengal along with other honored guests gave away the prizes to the two finalists.

On the larger context, the revival  of  this tournament after 25 years  has given a new hope to the football in the Hills of Darjeeling. Hope this will have a positive impact and give the players in that region a platform to showcase their talents at the National level. Although this is not confirmed at the moment. The Finalist, South Samity of Kolkata is said to have been impressed by two boys playing for Darjeeling XI.In my view this tournament has a dual role. Firstly to provide entertainment to the football loving public of Darjeeling and secondly to give its players a platform.

Hope this tournament will continue without disruption from now on and put Darjeeling on the footballing map of the country once again. A special thanks to all the people involved with the revival of this prestigious tournament.

Photo Courtesy- Bidhan Goshai (Darjeeling)

Information Courtesy- Swarnim Rai (Darjeeling)

Nirmal and Sanju

After Bhaichung Bhutia, Sikkim was struggling to find new players who had the caliber to go all the way and and perform at the highest level of Indian football. The Government of Sikkim realized this and in the year  1998 a scheme aptly named “Search for more Bhaichungs” was launched under  the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs. Coaches were sent to all the four districts of Sikkim and trails were held for the boys under 14 years of age. Even I can recall attending the selection trails at the West Point School grounds at Gangtok.After attending the camp for 15 days I was not found good enough but I enjoyed every moment of the sessions we had there.

All the selected boys from this scheme was put up at the Namchi Sports Hostel (Namchi  is the South District headquarter) where they were imparted quality training and education. Slowing it started showing results. Many boys who passed out from this Hostel started getting offers  and some of them went on to represent India at the various age group tournaments.

Nirmal Chettri and Sanju Pradhan were also part of this band of boys who were on course to change the footballing fortunes of Sikkim. I recall hearing a lot about Sanju Pradhan and his antics on the field but had never seen him play. I don’t exactly remember the year but it was during the Chief Minister’s Gold Cup which is held annually at Namchi that I got to see him play. The local cable channel was showing the recording and I sat back and started watching the match and there I saw the Boy who I had heard so much about and got blown away by the way he played. Now at East Bengal he is mostly employed as a  right winger but back then he used to play as a Central Midfielder. He was I guess around 16 year old that time and the game he displayed was far ahead of his tender age. After that I came down to Kolkata and lost touch with Sikkimese football. But these two boys were improving day by day.

In 2006 during my Part II Graduation final exams preparation break, I had gone back to Gangtok and a tournament called the Mini SAARC  was being held. Forgive me I don’t remember the official name. The tournament had Academy teams from across the country and one each from Nepal and Bhutan. It was there again I saw these two boys in action. I don’t remember the group matches but during the finals against Nepal, I remember vividly how well Nirmal and Sanju played. I will have to mention about Nirmal here. He played a brilliant game as a stopper and I was amazed by his technical understanding of the game at such a young age, another thing I noticed about him was his commanding presence on the field. He was always communicating with his teammates and sometimes even shouting at them. He had that leadership quality. Later he proved me right on this by captaining the India under-19 team on their tour of Germany. Years later in Kolkata I found out through Nirmal himself here in Kolkata that he had played as a stopper for the first time during that match. One of their regular stopper was down with fever and the coach had asked Nirmal to take his place. This proves how gutsy he is.

Then in the All India Governor’s Gold Cup, these guys were on fire. The Sports Academy of Sikkim team brushed aside many good sides and reached the quarter-finals. They even got the better of Army XI in the quarterfinals league but eventually lost to Air India. I remember in that game Sanju scored a wonderful goal from the right side of the 18 yard box. He ran into the Army XI side back, got the better of him with an overstep and fired a thundering shot which went in like a rocket into the Army XI goal post. I was so much impressed that I even wrote an article about Nirmal and Sanju for a local newspaper called the Sikkim Express.

The performance at the Gold Cup was enough to impress the Air India coach Mr Bimal Ghosh and the boys packed their bags and left the hills of Sikkim for the unknown shores of Mumbai to join the Air India Club. The Sports Academy of Sikkim had prepared them well and they did not disappoint even at the highest level of Indian Football.

I used to watch there matches on television and one particular match I remember in the I-league.Nirmal and Sanju were playing for Air India in their home match at Mumbai.Sanju had a brilliant game showing his array of Skills and I remember the commentators saying “this boy has a bright future in Indian Football” and Sanju has proved him right. I must admit here that after Ronaldinho,Sanju is the only other player when he gets the ball I expect him to do something unexpected with the ball. He is such a complete Mid-Fielder. It’s always a joy to watch him in action.

Although I was there fan since the first time I saw them, I had never got the opportunity to get myself introduced with them. The moment came when Air India had come down to Kolkata for an I-League game. I was working as an intern then with Zee Sports had we had to go to their hotel and interview Nirmal about the game. That was for the first time I met him and it was a pleasure. Later on I got introduced to Sanju through Nirmal.

After a couple of seasons with Air India both of them joined East Bengal and continued with there good performance. I remember a press conference after a match with the Bayern Munich Under-19 team, where Gerd Muller said that he was impressed by East Bengal number 3 which was Nirmal.He might have felt really proud about those comments.I also felt very nice.

Next I was involved with a project for Zee Sports. It was a package on North-East Football so I had to interview Sanju and Nirmal with regards to a segment on Sikkim. I called them up and fixed up a date. They wanted to do it at their flat. So I went there. We had  good fun doing the interview and also joked about the fact that three people who were fluent in Nepali trying their best to sound good with their Hindi. I am not sure whether they saw the package but they sounded and looked good.

Now these two boys have become a Star. But I must add here they have no starry airs about themselves. The area where I live in Kolkata has large number of East Bengal supporters. Even my land lord is a big fan. These people had organized a puja last year and asked me to invite Nirmal,Sanju and Alvito for the opening ceremony. I  was bit hesitant and I told them that the season is on and they are really busy but they would not listen. So I asked them to get the invitation cards and hand it over to them. They did that and I called all three of them and informed them about the invitation and to my surprise they obliged. I was really impressed by their kind gesture and more than me the people of my locality went berserk when they finally arrived at my place. People whom I never knew came into my room to shake hands with the stars and a few of them got confused and thought I was also a player and shook my hands too.

Both Nirmal and Sanju have come a long way from the dustly fields of Sikkim to the Maidans of Kolkata. But still they have a long way to go and I am sure that they will taste more success in the near future. They are never over-confident about their skills though they have achieved so much in such a short span of time. Some months back I had met them and had a chat regarding  trying their luck in the European Leagues. Both of them were quick to respond that they are still learning and they will take another two to three years, to think about that possibility. This proves how well they are aware of their abilities and how much they want to improve further.

Now after Bhaichung Bhutia,though we want him to continue playing the game for eternity.Nirmal and Sanju are the new torch bearers of Sikkimese football and have a huge responsibility on their shoulders. Like Bhaichung who inspired a generation of footballers now the onus of doing that is falling upon them. But I am sure Nirmal and Sanju knows this and I was happy to note that they are already planning an Academy in Sikkim. So come on boys keep on playing the game, keep on working hard and keep on climbing the stairs of success.

MY MEMORIES WITH BHAICHUNG BHUTIA

There are millions of football fans in this world and I am also one of them and I am of proud that. Football for me is more than just a game. It’s like a feeling and Indian football, well I can talk and talk about it and bore people around me. But today I would like to talk about a player who has taken Indian Football to the next level single handedly and is still going strong and whenever he is on the field he has never bored us. Even people who don’t follow football knows his name.

You might have already guessed who I am talking about. Yes its none other than Bhaichung Bhutia whom I call Agya (means brother in Bhutia dialect).He was my senior in school,Tashi Namgyal Academy, Gangtok and he was already a Hero in our school as he had achieved so much success at a very young age- getting selected for the School Federation camp, being the best player in the 1992 Subroto Cup, getting a call up for the India Under-16 team and he used to play for the number one team in Sikkim called the Boys Club. This is my most early memories of Agya Bhaichung in School, I can remember me and my friends running around him and trying to talk with him at school.Oneday I guess it was during lunch break we had gone up to the ground and Agya came out of the Hostel which is perched just above the ground and a group of us got excited and asked him in nepali (Note- TNA is and English medium school but back in the days Nepali used to be the first language, I guess barring the teachers nobody spoke in English)  Agya kata janu bhako? Agya wher are u going? He looked at us smiled and replied with a hindi song -Main toh chala jidhar chalay rasta- I am going where the road goes.Nowdays I have not seen his lighter side that much but I am sure his boyish sense of humor is still intact. As I see him making comments on the photographs of his friends on facebook and they are most of the times funny.

The next episode I remember about Agya is a match during the All India Governor’s Gold Cup Football Tournament in Gangtok ,which bagged him his first professional  Contract  with the East Bengal Club. The year was 1992 and I had gone down to the Paljor Stadium with my Grandfather to watch the Semi-Final match between Sikkim Football Association (Blue) and Mohun Bagan AC.My grandfather was a big football fan and was a decent player during his younger days. Now coming back to the match. The atmosphere was electrifying and the stadium was full as after many years a local side had reached the quarter finals.Agya playing for SFA (Blue) had a wonderful game. Now I understand that he didn’t play as an out and out striker like he does today but as an Attacking Midfielder. He was running,sliding,winning the balls, making runs into the Mohun Bagan half and I recall here that he gave a very tough time to one of the Mohun Bagan defender. If I am not mistaken he was an African player named Christopher.Mohun Bagan scored an early goal and SFA although they tried their best could not score the equalizer in the first half but in the second half SFA got a free at the edge of the box, If my memory is not failing me here I guess Agya had won that free kick .Devendra Gurung another good player from our school stepped in to take the free kick.All the spectators were waiting in anticipation that he’ll score and that’s what he did. He took an in swinging shot, practical example would be like that of David Beckam.The ball curled in and the Mohun Bagan goalkeeper had no chance. The whole stadium erupted in Joy and I remember hugging my grandfather. But the joy was short lived as Mohun Bagan scored later and SFA’s run in the Gold Cup ended. But another story of Bhaichung Bhutia was about to begin,A star was born that day.I still remember my Grandfather telling me after the match-tero Dhaichung lay pura naam kamaocha,bahut ramro khelda raicha-your Dhaichung will earn a lot name he is a very good player. it’s funny he used to pronounce Bhaichung as Dhaichung.

Now my memory jogs back to that school assembly which was like a farewell for Agya.Within a year everything was finalized with East Bengal and he was ready to leave his beloved Tashi Namgyal Academy. The assembly was held at the football ground that day instead of the Auditorium. Quite symbolic as one of its best footballer was leaving the School and the Assembly was held at that very ground where he trained and played the matches. After the school song Agya was invited by the Principal to share his thoughts with the students. I don’t exactly remember what he said but it was a short speech in the lines of “I will miss the school”- he was looking very sad and downcast. May be I was too young, I did not go up to him and wish him luck and watched others doing that. But in my mind I did that. After he went down to Kolkata our school’s notice board would have the paper cutting’s of his matches and we used to read those with interest. Even I pasted some of those and we all used to feel proud about his achievements. After Agya established himself at East Bengal the paper cutting’s at notice board  got fewer and fewer as he used to hit the headlines almost every match and I guess every student of TNA or for that matter whole of Sikkim was aware of what he was doing simply put he had become a Star now and his paper cuttings on the notice board was I guess no more needed.

By 1997 Agya had become a big star of Indian football. I was also with my School Under-14 team and we were playing in a junior tournament at Gangtok .We had reached the finals and to our joy we heard that the Chief Guest will be Bhaichung Bhutia.The day came and  we went down to the Paljor Stadium for the Final match. The Captain of the team had asked us to put on crab bandages and as that was for the first time I had used those. I put it up very tightly. I could feel my foot going numb as we were moving towards the ground in our school bus. By the time we reached the stadium the numbness had lead to pain. We got off the bus and all my teammates trooped in for the warm up and I was there in the corner removing the carb bandages from both my foot. Agya had also arrived by that time and the coach after shaking his hands shouted at me-What are you doing? Hurry up. To which I replied Sir- My blood circulation has stopped due to the crab Bandage.Agya found that funny smiled at me and said- Bhai ko blood circulation baadh bhayo haray? I gave him a nervous smile. That was for the very first time he had directly talked with me. Then during the photo session I tried my best to stand next to Agya and succeeded (I still have that photograph) after that we went in, won the match and got certificates signed by the man himself Bhaichung Bhutia.I also remember giving a tough time to my Mum after the finals going around Lal Bazar looking for the same kind of shirt that Agya was wearing. I succeeded but got a poor replica of that.

Then in 1999 Agya went to England after he got a contact with Bury FC.I guess he had come back to Sikkim during off-season. Whenever he is in Sikkim he makes it a point to visit his Alma Mater and sometimes even trained with the school team boys. That year he was taken around the different classes in School and he interacted with the Students. He came to our class too followed by some teachers. We all got up when he entered and he smiled and gestured us to sit down. We sat and one of the teacher told us to ask questions to him. Nobody had any question understandably we were all nervous. Some of the boys nagged me on to ask something. So I got up nervously and asked him-How much do you earn in England? Of all the questions I came up with that silly question. Later on I found out how closely guarded secret is a professional player’s earning in India. But Agya smiled back and said- I get around 1000 pounds per week and things are very expensive there and I can’t save that much. I am not sure whether he told me that in lighter vein but it would have been quite an achievement if I was a journalist to get that information out of him.Soon our date with the Star was over. He was ushered into the next class.

I am not sure weather it was during that visit or the next he also played a game with the School team. Even the ESPN crew had travelled with him that time to make a package on him. The coach informed us that he will be playing and we all got really excited.Agya’s team consisted of all the Ex players of TNA and there was lot of excitement in School as football is really big in our school. After lunch classes were cancelled and all the students turned up for the match. I was not in the starting eleven but in the second half the coach pointed at me and asked me to warm up. I got really excited and started the session then the coach called me and within no time I was in the ground playing against Bhaichung Bhutia!.A sort of dream come true kind of feeling hit me.I played in the midfield and I must say here though it was a friendly game Agya was not taking it lightly. I saw from the close range the way he runs with ball, blowing the air out from his mouth. When he makes those runs I am sure he sends a chill down the defenders spine. It did more than that to me. Then I suddenly found myself face to face with the man. He took the ball in the midfield and I went in from Behind to tackle him. He went for a sharp turn and tried to put the ball between my legs but I didn’t allow that to happen although he won the ball which is obvious ,he gave a disappointed grin after passing the ball and I was just happy that I did not allow him to put the ball between my legs. I don’t exactly remember the shoreline but Agya’s team won the match. After the referee blew the final whistle a funny incident happened. I went up to shake hands with Agya and said the words which I still find embarrassing and funny “well played” and nearly patted his back as if I was the senior player. Funny things happen when your nervous. I still have those nervous break downs whenever I meet Agya.Years later I got an opportunity and narrated that incident to him but he didn’t seem to remember it.  

I completed my schooling and decided on Kolkata to do my further studies and It was in Kolkata I got a chance to come in touch with Agya in a more personal way. My first encounter with Agya in Kolkata was during my stint as the Sport Secretary of Sikkim Student Association. We had gone over to East Bengal Club to hand over an invitation letter for the North East Sports meet which we were hosting  that year. After training he came out and greeted all of us we just stood there with our President doing all the talking. He thanked us for the Invite and dropped in to watch our football match and We lost in front of him. The meet is held over five days so he again came and this time unannounced. We were all caught off guard. He went straight to the basketball courts where the match was on. We had no chairs so I quickly arranged for one and took it for him. But he said just leave it-how can I sit when all the other people are standing. Just one example of his humbleness. Then after I joined Zee Sports our encounters became quite frequent and Agya got a grip of my name and started to know me better.

After I was removed from Zee Sports It was Agya who came to my rescue and gave me an employment with Football Players Association of India which he is heading as the President. It was a pleasure working under Agya who never lost his cool on me even when I made some big mistakes but he used to tell jokingly-Administrative work is not your forte. When I decided to move on from FPAI he supported my decision and wished me luck.When he became a father of two beautiful twins. I got a text from him saying “We were today blessed with two beautiful twins” to which I had quickly replied. I forgot my exact words and months later on a personal visit I got a chance to see his cute and beautiful daughter-Keisha Dolma.

I think I might go on writing about him so I will have to stop here. In the end I would like to add a few more lines, Bhaichung Bhutia’s game never stops to inspire me and I consider myself fortunate that a legend like him knows me by my name.His humbleness has also touched me likes millions of his other fans. He is still the same Agya I know from my school days. I wish him all the luck in life and in football where he will be going to play in Asian Cup next year and I hope I will have many more memories with the Man and again I would be able the jot down more lines about him.

DARJEELING GOLD CUP MAKES A COMEBACK!

The beautiful hills of Darjeeling is all set to host the beautiful game. “All India Brigade of Gorkha Gold Cup Football Tournament,2010” or simply the “Darjeeling Gold Cup” makes a comeback after a gap of 25 years to this tourist town, much to the delight of the football fans there. From tomorrow i.e. 12^th of November all roads in Darjeeling might lead to the stadium, such is passion for football there.

All the matches of the tournament will be held at the Saint Joseph’s College (School Department) ground .The tournament will be held from 12^th to the 21^st of November .The last edition of this tournament was held in 1985 which was won by the Kolkata Giants, East Bengal.

The first edition of the tournament was held way back in the year 1975,National Club of India,Mohun Bagan had the honour of winning the first ever Gorkha Gold Cup. The tournament  ran continuously till 1985.After that it could not be held due to the Gorkhaland agitation which started from 1986.The credit for Gorkha Gold Cup goes to the Gorkha Personal serving in the British Army.

The  Gorkha Gold Cup is being organized by the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Sports Association in collaboration with the Darjeeling District Administration and the Government of West Bengal providing the financial assistance, The tournament is expected to draw huge crowds as Darjeeling has been starved of any quality tournaments for a very longtime now. The Governor of West Bengal has been made the Chief Patron.

It might be put forward here Darjeeling has produced many players of repute in the past, Prominent amongst them Chandan Singh Rawat who went on and  played for India and was an integral part of the National team in the hey days of Indian football in the 50’s and 60’s.With the revival of the Gorkha Gold Cup many young players have a chance once again to showcase their talents at the National level and get noticed to be picked up the big clubs of the Country.

So Darjeeling is ready to welcome back the Gorkha Gold Cup with open arms. It’s no doubt a positive development and the icing on the cake will be if the tournament with all the entertainment that it will provide to the hill folks also introduces to the country some promising footballers who can go on and become the torch bearers of Darjeeling football.