Gangtok Himalayan Sporting Club, or simply Gangtok SC (formerly known as Sikkim Himalayan SC), is an Indian professional football club based in Gangtok, Sikkim.[5] The club usually participated in the I-League 2nd Division,[6][7] the second tier of Indian football league system. The club currently competes in the Sikkim Premier Division League.[8][9][10] They are also a constant participant of the Sikkim Gold Cup,[11][12] a premier club tournament in the state.[13]
Gangtok Himalayan SC was founded in 2012 in Gangtok,[14] the capital city of the Indian state Sikkim, and affiliated with Sikkim Football Association (SFA).[15][16][17] Since then, they have been participating in various domestic and amateur tournaments regionally.[18] The club was founded by Tenzing Lamtha.[19]
In October 2014, Gangtok Himalayan participated in Sikkim Governor's Gold and reached to the semi-finals, but their journey ended with a 2–1 defeat to ONGC FC.[20][21][22]
In January 2016, they were officially certified by the All India Football Federation to participate in the I-League 2nd Division,[23] the second tier of football in India, after finishing 2nd in the Sikkim Premier Division League. This move began a new chapter for Gangtok-based side as they became a professional football club from the North East India.[24]
2016 was the most successful season for Gangtok Himalayan, in which they participated in the I-League 2nd Division, Durand Cup,[25] Sikkim Gold Cup and Sikkim Premier Division League.
After finishing 2nd in the group A (Eastern conference) of the 2015–16 I-League 2nd Division,[26] Gangtok Himalayan qualified for the 2015–16 I-League 2nd Division Final Round. There they finished as 5th and failed to qualify in the I-League.[27]
Gangtok Himalayan players in training at the Paljor Stadium, Gangtok, in 2017.
In 2016 Durand Cup, the Himalayans finished 5th, behind Indian Navy in the group A with 6 points.[28][29]
In 2019, they reached to the final of 39th edition of the Sikkim Governor's Gold Cup final defeating Royal FC Siliguri 3–1,[30][31] but lost the title winning match to Mohammedan Sporting by 2–1 margin.[32][33] In that year, Gangtok Himalayan lifted Independence Day Football Tournament trophy defeating Sikkim Aacraman FC via penalty shoot-out.
I-League fate
The All India Football Federation were all set to invite bids for vacant spots in the I-League and Gangtok-based Sikkim Himalayan football club (now Gangtok Himalayan) were one of the front-runners to join, but it was not materialized.[34]
2020–present
In 2020, Gangtok Himalayan went to Nepal for participating in the 18th Aaha! Rara Gold Cup but their journey ended after a 3–0 defeat to Three Star Club in quarter-finals.[35][36]
Rivalry
Gangtok Himalayan has a rivalry with their fellow Sikkim based club United Sikkim FC,[37] whom they face in regional tournaments including Sikkim Premier Division League.[38][39] The rivalry is sometimes referred to as "Sikkim Derby". Both the clubs use Paljor Stadium as their home grounds. One of their most memorable matches was on 9 November 2019 during Sikkim Governor's Gold Cup, and Gangtok Himalayan won by 3–1 margin.[40]
Aerial view of Paljor Stadium, home of Gangtok Himalayan FC.
For I-League 2nd Division, the club announced that they would play all their home matches at the 30,000 seater Paljor Stadium in the capital of Sikkim, Gangtok.[41][42] The club has also used the stadium for matches of regional tournaments like Sikkim Premier Division League.[43][44][45][46] It was opened in 1943 and has artificial turf.[47][48]
The players below had senior or age-level international cap(s) for their respective countries or autonomous regions. Players whose name is listed, represented their countries before or after playing for Gangtok Himalayan SC.
Hans Schöggl & Karel Stokkermans. "India tournaments 2014/15". rsssf.com. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 8 October 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
Rup Narayan Dhakal (10 March 2020). "Three Star advance to last four". thehimalayantimes.com. The Himalayan Times. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
"Tibetan National Sports Association (TNSA)". Archived from the original on 30 May 2007. Retrieved 17 September 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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