Seven Clubs from North-East in 2nd Division I-League

I-League second division first round matches will kick-off from the 31^ST of March with twenty one teams divided into three groups. Group A will play their matches at Madurai (Tamil Nadu) Group B matches will take place at Jamshedpur (Jharkhand) and Group C teams will fight it out in Guwahati (Assam).Two teams Shillong Lajong and Sporting Clube de Goa,last season’s relegated sides will join the six qualifiers in the final round to be held in Shillong.

There are seven teams from the North-East this season which points to the fact that club football is picking in this part of the country. Couple of years ago North-East produced only players but now that trend has changed and many good clubs are coming up. Shillong Lajong proved last season that with the right approach, North-Eastern clubs can go a long way. After a wonderful show in the Federation Cup they were unfortunately relegated from the I-League but their journey from a small club based in Shillong to the pinnacle of Indian football has been a source of inspiration for all the other clubs based in the North-Eastern states.

The North-Eastern Clubs which are taking part in this season’s second division  I-League are,Royal Wahingdoh SC,Langsning FC and Ar-Hima FC from Meghalaya, United Sikkim FC and Denzong Boyz FC will represent Sikkim other two teams are Guwahati Town Club and North Imphal Sports Association (NISA) from Assam and Manipur respectively.

So now it has to be seen which of the above clubs will go all the way and qualify for the I-League. The campaign will be tough as other clubs are also no pushovers and only a limited number of clubs will get the promotion, But no matter what all these clubs have given a new direction to the football in North-East and have also given hope to the other clubs to emulate them. The day is not far when there will be a number of clubs from this region competing in the I-League.

Photograph Courtesy- www.outdoors.webshots.com

Meeting Bhaichung Bhutia the Club Owner

Captain of the National Football team, Bhaichung Bhutia or should we say the owner of  United Sikkim Football Club, his recently acquired status  was in his home town Gangtok last week. The purpose of his visit was to locate a suitable land to set up the United Sikkim Football Academy.

Bhaichung along with the United Sikkim FC Senior Manager, Arjoon Rai saw some plots on the outskirts of the capital city Gangtok and they will zero in on the land of their choice in a few weeks time.

I had the pleasure of meeting Bhaichung at Arjoon Rai’s residence on Thursday evening. Arjoon Rai called me up to his place and I was off in flash as its always exciting to meet Bhaichung or Agya as I call him. After I greeted Agya we started talking about the chances of United Sikkim FC qualifying for the I-League division one in its very first season. It might be recalled here United Sikkim FC is slated to play their first round qualifiers at Guwahati. When I pointed out to Bhaichung that there is a high possibility of United Sikkim FC qualifying, He said the campaign will be very tough and they are not taking any teams for granted.

Bhaichung also told me that keeping in with the professional set up of the Club, he is looking for an office premises in and around Gangtok and he has already got a few options. He is also planning to shift his base from Kolkata to Gangtok where United Sikkim FC will be located to give full attention to his beloved club .A town planner was also present with him during that meeting and they were discussing places to set up the Academy compound along with the Club office.

After a day I again met Bhaichung at a hotel in Gangtok when I arrived he was having a meeting with the town planner and few other business men from Sikkim. Further discussion was going on for the land which will be used to set up the Academy. After the meeting I greeted Bhaichung and wished him all the best for the upcoming second division I-League matches and then he was off  to catch a chopper for Bagdogra en-route to Kolkata.

If all the plans fall in place United Sikkim Football Club will definitely become one of the best clubs in the country  in the next few years and with no other than Bhaichung himself leading the way this does not seem impossible. For me it was a pleasant experience to meet Bhaichung the Club owner and I can’t wait for that day when United Sikkim FC will start playing their home matches at the Paljor Stadium in Gangtok.

Sahara Club, Pokhara- Leading the way

In the year 1998 a club named Sahara was born in Pokhara, a tourist city in Western Nepal. This beautiful city is perched on the banks of the famous Phewa Taal (a natural lake) and is surrounded by the majestic  Annapurna Mountain Range. A must visit destination for all the tourists to the Himalayan Country of Nepal.

Sahara Club was formed as a social organization but football is also an integral part of the Club’s Set up. It regularly participates in the different Knock-out tournaments of Nepal along with the one hosted by the Club themselves, Aaha Gold Cup. A very successful Knock-out tournament. The ninth edition was held this year in January.

The Club is very well managed with the active participation of all its members and are sound financially as they regularly receive donations from Nepalis living in United Kingdom along with foreigners and the sponsors. It might be mentioned here that the Club also has a branch in the United Kingdom which is called Sahara Club UK. They have assisted many Nepali footballers to get trails in the different Clubs of UK. Example can be given of Anil Gurung who is currently playing for Indian outfit Shillong Lajong FC. In 2009 Sahara Club UK members had helped Gurung to get trails with Chelsea Reserve team along with few other lower division Clubs.

One unique feature of the Sahara Club, Pokhara is the Football Academy for street Children and orphans. These children are selected from the different districts of Nepal and imparted football training with free education and shelter. Now the Academy has more than fifty boys in different age groups. The funding for this Academy comes from the profit collected from the Aaha Gold Cup which is hosted Annually by the Sahara Club. A new Academy building is also being constructed which should be ready in a few months time.

As mentioned earlier Sahara Club is also dedicated towards the society. It holds regular blood donation camps, cleanliness drives in the city of Pokhara and also gives financial assistance to the poor and needy. We can say it’s more than just a football Club.

Clubs like Sahara are an example how football can be used as a social tool. Bringing about positive changes in the society as well as promoting the beautiful game. The Club has really set a bench mark for others to emulate in just over a decade of its formation. The successful hosting of Aaha Gold Cup every year points to the fact how serious the people concerned with the club are. It might not be an overstatement to say that Sahara Club, Pokhara is one of the best managed club in Nepal today.

The club’s aim is to keep serving the city of Pokhara and in that process promote the game of football.  Anil Gurung who started his career with Sahara Club is now a star of Nepali football. This has given the boys at Sahara Club and Academy a new hope and most of them would follow his footsteps and go on to play for Nepal, which will a wonderful news for the people involved with the Sahara Club.

Photograph Courtesy- Sudharshan Ranjit (Sahara Club,Pokhara)