Sikkim Himalayan Sporting Club (sometimes known as Gangtok Himalayan) is an Indian professional football club based in Gangtok, Sikkim.[5] The club usually participated in the I-League 2nd Division,[6][7] then second tier of Indian football league system, and the Sikkim Premier Division League.[8][9][10]
 | |||
| Full name | Sikkim Himalayan Sporting Club[1] | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Himalayans[2] | ||
| Short name | GHSC SHSC | ||
| Founded | 2012 (as Sikkim Himalayan SC)[3] | ||
| Ground | Paljor Stadium[4] | ||
| Capacity | 30,000 | ||
| Owner | Tenzing Lamtha | ||
| Head coach | Puspa Gurung | ||
| League | Sikkim Premier Division League | ||
The club is also a frequent participant of the Sikkim Gold Cup,[11][12] a premier club tournament in the state.[13]
History
Formation and journey
Gangtok Himalayan FC (originally known as Sikkim Himalayan SC)[14][15][16] was founded in 2012 in Gangtok,[17] the capital city of the Indian state Sikkim, and affiliated with Sikkim Football Association (SFA).[18][19][20] Since then, they have been participating in various domestic and amateur tournaments regionally.[21] The club was founded by Tenzing Lamtha.[22] In October 2014, Gangtok Himalayan participated in Sikkim Governor's Gold Cup and reached to the semi-finals, but their journey ended with a 2–1 defeat to ONGC FC.[23][24][25] In September 2015, former India international Arjunan Shanta Kumar was appointed as manager of the club.[26]
In January 2016, they were officially certified by the All India Football Federation to participate in the I-League 2nd Division,[27] 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 one of first professional football clubs from the North East India.[28] 2016 was the most successful season for Gangtok Himalayan, in which they participated in the I-League 2nd Division, Durand Cup,[29][30] Sikkim Gold Cup and Sikkim Premier Division League. After finishing 2nd in the group A of the 2015–16 I-League 2nd Division,[31] Gangtok Himalayan qualified for the 2015–16 I-League 2nd Division final round. There they finished as 5th and failed to qualify for the I-League.[32]
In 2016 Durand Cup, the Himalayans finished 5th, behind Indian Navy in the group A with 6 points.[33][34] In 2019, they reached to the final of 39th edition of the Sikkim Governor's Gold Cup final defeating Royal FC Siliguri 3–1,[35][36] but lost the title winning match to Mohammedan Sporting by 2–1 margin.[37][38] 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 was one of the front-runners to join, but it was not materialized.[39]
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.[40][41]
Rivalry
Gangtok Himalayan has a rivalry with their fellow Sikkim based club United Sikkim FC,[42] whom they usually face in regional tournaments including Sikkim Premier Division League.[43][44] The rivalry is commonly referred to as "Sikkim Derby". Both the clubs mostly use Paljor Stadium as their home ground. One of their most memorable matches was on 9 November 2019 during Sikkim Governor's Gold Cup, and Gangtok Himalayan won by 3–1.[45]
Stadium
For I-League 2nd Division, the club announced that they would play their home matches at the 30,000 seater Paljor Stadium in the capital of Sikkim, Gangtok.[46][47] The club has also used the stadium for matches of regional tournaments like Sikkim Premier Division League.[48][49][50][51] It was opened in 1943 and has artificial turf.[52][53]
Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 2015—2020 | Vamos[54] | Organic Sikkim |
Past internationals
- 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.
Palsang Lama (2013–2015)[55]
Tashi Samphel (2016–2018)[56]- Tashi Tsering (2009–2010)[Note 1][57]
- Tsering Dhundup (2007–2008)[58]
- Pema Lhundup (2018–2019)[59]
- Yogesh Gurung (2013–2014)[60]
- Karma Tsewang (2015–2017)[Note 2][61]
Stephen Harry (2017–2018)[62]
Honours
League
Cup
Other departments
Youth football
The club has been operating various youth men's teams for regional tournaments. In 2013, their U-14 team took part in Snow Lion Cup, hosted by United Sikkim.[72]
Futsal
Gangtok Himalayan has men's futsal section, that participated in tournaments like Chandmari Futsal Championship.[73][74]
See also
Notes
References
Future reading
- Pradhan, Sujal (16 June 2023). "Sikkim Premier Division League 2023 to kick off on June 21st". indiatodayne.in. Gangtok: India Today North East. Archived from the original on 16 June 2023.
- "Rohit double helps DSK Shivajians overcome Gangtok Himalayan". The Times of India. PTI. 31 August 2016. Archived from the original on 14 August 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
- "Bhaichung Bhutia shuts down former I-League club United Sikkim". indianexpress.com. Gangtok: The Indian Express. Press Trust of India. 22 September 2019. Archived from the original on 27 September 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
- Bhattacharya, Nikhilesh (5 December 2012). "Not just about the money — Bhaichung Bhutia's United Sikkim FC faces challenges that test him as an administrator". LiveMint.com. Gangtok. Archived from the original on 30 October 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
External links
- Gangtok Himalayan SC on Facebook
- Team info at Global Sports Archive
- I-League 2nd Division pages: Gangtok FC at ArunFoot
- Gangtok Himalayan SC at Aiscore
- Gangtok Himalayan SC at Sofascore
- team profile at Football Critic