Association football club in Sikkim, India
Football club
Sikkim Himalayan Full name Sikkim Himalayan Sporting Club[ 1] Nickname(s) The Himalayans[ 2] Short name GHSC SHSC Founded 2012; 12 years ago (2012 ) (as Sikkim Himalayan SC )[ 3] Ground Paljor Stadium [ 4] Capacity 30,000 Owner Tenzing Lamtha Head coach Puspa Gurung League SFA A-Division S-League
Gangtok Himalayan Sporting Club (also known as Sikkim Himalayan ) is an Indian professional football club based in Gangtok , Sikkim .[ 5] The club plays in the SFA "A" Division S-League .[ 6] [ 7] [ 8]
The club is also a frequent participant of the Sikkim Gold Cup ,[ 9] [ 10] a premier club tournament in the state.[ 11]
Gangtok Himalayan FC (originally known as Sikkim Himalayan SC)[ 12] [ 13] [ 14] was founded in 2012 in Gangtok,[ 15] the capital city of the Indian state Sikkim, and affiliated with Sikkim Football Association (SFA).[ 16] [ 17] [ 18] Since then, they have been participating in various domestic and amateur tournaments regionally.[ 19] The club was founded by Tenzing Lamtha.[ 20] 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 .[ 21] [ 22] [ 23] In September 2015, former India international Arjunan Shanta Kumar was appointed as manager of the club.[ 24]
In January 2016, they were officially certified by the All India Football Federation to participate in the I-League 2nd Division,[ 25] 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 .[ 26] 2016 was the most successful season for Gangtok Himalayan, in which they participated in the I-League 2nd Division, Durand Cup ,[ 27] [ 28] Sikkim Gold Cup and Sikkim Premier Division League. After finishing 2nd in the group A of the 2015–16 I-League 2nd Division ,[ 29] 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 .[ 30]
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.[ 31] [ 32] In 2019, they reached to the final of 39th edition of the Sikkim Governor's Gold Cup final defeating Royal FC Siliguri 3–1,[ 33] [ 34] but lost the title winning match to Mohammedan Sporting by 2–1 margin.[ 35] [ 36] In that year, Gangtok Himalayan lifted Independence Day Football Tournament trophy defeating Sikkim Aacraman FC via penalty shoot-out.
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.[ 37]
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.[ 38] [ 39] In November 2024, the club took part in the 2024 edition of Sikkim Gold Cup .[ 40] [ 41] [ 42] In that tournament, they defeated visiting Malaysian team Kelantan Darul Naim by 3–0 in the quarter-finals.[ 43] [ 44] The club later reached the final, but lost the title in penalty shoot-out with the margin of 0–0 (4–3) to NorthEast United .[ 45] [ 46]
Gangtok Himalayan has a rivalry with their fellow Sikkim based club United Sikkim FC ,[ 47] whom they usually face in regional tournaments including Sikkim Premier Division League.[ 48] [ 49] 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.[ 50]
Aerial view of Paljor Stadium, home of Sikkim Himalayan FC
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.[ 51] [ 52] The club has also used the stadium for matches of regional tournaments like Sikkim Premier Division League.[ 53] [ 54] [ 55] [ 56] It was opened in 1943 and has artificial turf .[ 57] [ 58]
Period
Kit manufacturer
Shirt sponsor
2015—2020
Vamos[ 59]
Organic Sikkim
Past internationals [ edit ]
Sikkim Governor's Gold Cup
Independence Day Football Tournament
Kohima Royal Gold Cup
Darjeeling Gurkha Gold Cup
Gyalyum Chenmo Memorial Gold Cup
Bimal Ghosh Memorial Trophy
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.[ 77]
Gangtok Himalayan has men's futsal section, that participated in tournaments like Chandmari Futsal Championship.[ 78] [ 79]
^ "GANGTOK HIMALAYAN SC" . Soccerway.com . Archived from the original on 3 July 2017. Retrieved 1 March 2021 .
^ "Gangtok Himalayan Sports Club" . Facebook.com . Archived from the original on 16 December 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2021 .
^ Chettri, Sagar. "Sikkim Himalayan Sporting Club all set for Hero Junior League" . nenow.in . NORTHEAST NOW. Archived from the original on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021 .
^ "Gangtok Himalayan Sports Club" . findglocal.com . Archived from the original on 16 December 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2021 .
^ "Gangtok Himalayan SC" . khelnow.com . Khel Now. Archived from the original on 16 December 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2021 .
^ "Sikkim Premier League kicks off today" . sikkimexpress.com . Sikkim Express . 24 August 2019. Archived from the original on 30 August 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019 .
^ Gurung, Yuvraj (17 September 2019). "Sikkim Premier Division League 2019: Update" . theawayend.co . The Away End. Archived from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2019 .
^ Goalie365 (16 July 2018). "Sikkim Football Association released the fixture for 2018 Sikkim Premier Division League at football house in Gangtok" . Goalie36.com . Archived from the original on 22 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018 . {{cite web }}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link )
^ "29th SIKKIM GOVERNORS GOLD CUP – 2007" . kolkatafootball.com . Kolkata Football. Archived from the original on 28 December 2010. Retrieved 14 April 2011 .
^ "30th SIKKIM GOVERNORS GOLD CUP – 2008" . kolkatafootball.com . Kolkata Football. Archived from the original on 18 December 2010. Retrieved 14 April 2011 .
^ "Sikkim Governor's Gold Cup kicked-off" . isikkim.com . Archived from the original on 26 February 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2011 .
^ 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. Retrieved 8 July 2023 .
^ Pradhan, Sujal (21 June 2023). "Sikkim Premier Division League begins today at Paljor Stadium" . indiatodayne.in . Gangtok: India Today North East. Archived from the original on 8 July 2023. Retrieved 8 July 2023 .
^ Gurung, Bijoy (17 June 2023). "SIKKIM PREMIER DIVISION LEAGUE TO KICK-OFF FROM JUNE 21 AT PALJOR STADIUM" . sikkimexpress.com . Sikkim Express. Archived from the original on 19 June 2023. Retrieved 8 July 2023 .
^ Schöggl, Hans. "India — List of Foundation Dates" . RSSSF . Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2021 .
^ "Sikkim Football Association meet with Premier Sikkim clubs for development of game" . The Times of India . Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021 .
^ "Sikkim Himalayan boys have proved why they are the reigning Sikkim Premier League Champions" . goalie365.com . Goalie365. 27 December 2014. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016 .
^ "Sikkim Premier Division League 2016 Fixture Released" . goalie365.com . Goalie365. 22 July 2016. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016.
^ "Gangtok Himalayan SC" . Khel Now . Archived from the original on 16 December 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2021 .
^ "Sikkim Himalayan SC starts pre-season training to focus on young players" . sikkimexpress.com . The Sikkim Express. Archived from the original on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021 .
^ "Breaking News: MMC Beats Sikkim FA To Enter Finals In 35th Governor's Gold Cup" . goalnepal.com . Goal Nepal. 20 October 2014. Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2014 .
^ "MMC Skipper Shiva Shrestha: We Want To Take Governor's Gold Cup Trophy To Nepal" . goalnepal.com . Goal Nepal. 20 October 2014. Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2014 .
^ Hans Schöggl & Karel Stokkermans. "India tournaments 2014/15" . RSSSF . Archived from the original on 8 October 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2021 .
^ Mitra, Atanu (3 September 2017). "India 13–0 Macau: Looking back at India U-16 team's biggest ever victory" . goal.com . Goal. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2023 .
^ Shukla, Abhishek (20 November 2015). "I-LEAGUE 2ND DIVISION: MOHAMMEDAN KEEN TO BUILD ON THEIR IMPRESSIVE START AGAINST GANGTOK HIMALAYAN SC" . indiafooty.com . India Footy. Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2020 .
^ "Gangtok Himalayan Sporting Club fixtures in the I-League 2nd Division" . globalsportsarchive.com . Global Sports Archive. Archived from the original on 17 July 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2021 .
^ "Rohit double helps DSK Shivajians overcome Gangtok Himalayan" . The Times of India . 31 August 2016. Archived from the original on 14 August 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2017 .
^ "Gangtok Himalayan makes a flying start" . The Hindu . New Delhi. 31 August 2016. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2017 .
^ "Results & Fixtures: 2nd Division I-League" . I-League.org . Archived from the original on 12 November 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2021 .
^ Shukla, Abhishek. "I-LEAGUE 2ND DIVISION: MINERVA BEAT GANGTOK HIMALAYAN TO KEEPS PRESSURE ON DEMPO" . indianfooty.com . India Footy. Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2021 .
^ Bharat, Khelchandra (6 July 2016). "Durand Cup 2016: Minerva Academy FC Gets Direct Entry Along With 7 Other Clubs" . indianfootballnetwork.com . Indian Football Network. Archived from the original on 12 July 2016. Retrieved 4 August 2016 .
^ "Durand Cup: Shivajians FC face 'Himalayan' task" . The Times of India . Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2021 .
^ "India 2019/20: Sikkim Governor's Gold Cup" . RSSSF . Archived from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021 .
^ Chowdhury, Aritra (11 November 2019). "MSC confident ahead of Gold Cup final vs Sikkim Himalayan FC" . The Times of India . Archived from the original on 12 November 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2021 .
^ "39th SIKKIM GOVERNOR'S GOLD CUP 2019 SEMI-FINALS AND FINAL" . Kolkatafootball.com . Kolkata Football. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2021 .
^ "Sikkim Governor's Gold Cup 2019 Final" . int.soccerway.com . Soccerway. Archived from the original on 27 September 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2021 .
^ "Gangtok Himalayan SC makes a flying start" . thehindu.com . The Hindu. 30 August 2016. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2021 .
^ "AAHA RARA GOLD CUP (2020)" . Nepal90.com . Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 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 .
^ "All lndia Governor's Gold Cup football tournament to be held in Gangtok from November 8–12" . The Week . PTI. Archived from the original on 18 November 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024 .
^ "Governor's Gold Cup Returns in Grand Style with International Flair and Local Pride" . The Voice Of Sikkim . 2 November 2024. Archived from the original on 18 November 2024. Retrieved 3 November 2024 .
^ "Gold Cup back after 5-year gap: Sikkim to host soccer tourney with teams from India, abroad" . telegraphindia.com . Archived from the original on 12 November 2024.
^ "Gangtok Himalayan SC sets up quarterfinal clash with Malaysian club" . The Sikkim Express . Gangtok. 13 November 2024. Archived from the original on 18 November 2024. Retrieved 18 November 2024 .
^ Gurung, Bijoy (18 November 2024). "GANGTOK HIMALAYAN STUNS MALAYSIAN CLUB, BOOKS SF BERTH" . The Sikkim Express . Gangtok. Archived from the original on 18 November 2024. Retrieved 18 November 2024 .
^ a b "NorthEast United FC win Governor's Gold Cup" . The Bridge . 24 November 2024. Archived from the original on 24 November 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2024 .
^ Gautam, Jaswant (24 November 2024). "NORTHEAST UNITED FC LIFTS 40TH GOVERNOR'S GOLD CUP" . The Sikkim Express . Gangtok. Archived from the original on 25 November 2024. Retrieved 25 November 2024 .
^ "United Sikkim revived, Bhaichung Bhutia says aim is to bring ISL into state" . timesofindia.com . The Times of India . Press Trust of India. 4 January 2021. Archived from the original on 4 January 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2021 .
^ Parasar, Swapnaneel (24 July 2018). "All you need to know about football league structure in Sikkim" . Goal.com . Archived from the original on 17 August 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2021 .
^ NE NOW NEWS, 11:14 am (19 August 2018). "United Sikkim FC pull off spectacular win in crucial Sikkim Premier League match" . nenow.in . North East Now. Archived from the original on 15 April 2022. Retrieved 15 April 2022 . {{cite web }}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link )
^ "Gangtok Himalayan SC vs United Sikkim (Sikkim Gold Cup 2019)" . Soccerway.com . Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021 .
^ "Dempo SC start final round against Gangtok Himalayan SC at Paljor Stadium in Sikkim" . i-league.org . 25 March 2016. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021 .
^ "Sikkimese teams to face opponents at 2nd Division I-League prelims" . iSikkim.com . 18 March 2011. Archived from the original on 22 March 2011. Retrieved 21 March 2011 .
^ Goalie365. "Sikkim Football Association released the fixture for 2018 Sikkim Premier Division League at football house in Gangtok" . Goalie365.com . Archived from the original on 22 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018 . {{cite web }}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link )
^ "PREMIER DIVISION S-LEAGUE 2019: KUMAR SPORTING FC 2–2 UNICORN FC AND SIKKIM AAKRAMAN FC 5–0 UNITED SIKKIM FC" . goalie365.com . 31 August 2019. Archived from the original on 8 July 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2020 .
^ Gurung, Yuvraj (17 September 2019). "Sikkim Premier Division League 2019: Update" . theawayend.co . The Away End. Archived from the original on 2 October 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2019 .
^ "TENZING TSHEPEL DOUBLE HAND SIKKIM AAKRAMAN FC CRUCIAL THREE POINTS" . www.goalie365.com . Goalie365. 16 September 2017. Archived from the original on 11 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020 .
^ "Paljor Stadium" . soccerway. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2017 .
^ "USFC concludes training for Kalinga Cup & 2nd Div I-League" . iSikkim. Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012 .
^ Chowdhury, Aritra (11 November 2019). "MSC confident ahead of Gold Cup final vs Sikkim Himalayan FC" . The Times of India . Archived from the original on 16 December 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2021 .
^ Sarkhel, Ujjal (9 August 2016). "Mohammedan SC suffers first loss; go down 1–2 to Tollygunge" . Kolkata: Thif-Live.com. Archived from the original on 21 August 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2016 .
^ "Rohit double helps DSK Shivajians overcome Gangtok Himalayan" . The Times of India . 31 August 2016. Archived from the original on 14 August 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2017 .
^ "Tibetan National Sports Association (TNSA)" . Archived from the original on 30 May 2007. Retrieved 17 September 2021 .
^ "Shaolin Soccer Foot au Tibet, team 2008" . olympiquemidilirou.midiblogs.com . Archived from the original on 25 May 2008. Retrieved 15 August 2021 .
^ "Tibetan Football to debut in CONIFA 2018 World Cup" . Tibetsun.com . Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2021 .
^ Yogesh Gurung player info and statistics Archived 2 September 2021 at the Wayback Machine globalsportsarchive.com . Global Sports Archive. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
^ "I-League's Real Kashmir FC signs Tibet's No.1 goalie Tenzin Samdup" . phayul.com . Dharamshala: Phayul Newsdesk. 5 September 2019. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2022 .
^ Ganguly, Abhishek (1 August 2018). "Mohammedan Sporting Club rope in Gangtok Himalayan's former Nigerian striker Stephen Harry" . The Times of India . Kolkata. Archived from the original on 25 September 2022. Retrieved 26 November 2022 .
^ "Sikkim Himalayan SC has technically won the Sikkim Premier League title with one more game to go" . Goalie365.com . Archived from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2014 .
^ "Sikkim Aakraman F.C. Sikkim Premier Division League Champions" . sikkimexpress.com . The Sikkim Express. 26 September 2017. Archived from the original on 27 September 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2021 .
^ Schöggl, Hans (28 January 2021). "India – List of All India Governor's Gold Cup Winners (Sikkim)" . RSSSF . Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2021 .
^ Arunava Chaudhuri. "List of Winners/Runners-Up of the Sikkim Governor's Gold Cup" . indianfootball.de . Indian Football Network. Archived from the original on 6 October 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2021 .
^ "Paljor Stadium Gangtok News" . localgymsandfitness.com . Archived from the original on 16 December 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021 .
^ Chaudhuri, Arunava. "List of winners and runners-up of the Kohima Royal Gold Cup" . indianfootball.de . Indian Football Network. Archived from the original on 6 October 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021 .
^ "Bengaluru FC bow out of DSK Cup" . the-aiff.com . New Delhi: All India Football Federation. 31 October 2015. Archived from the original on 27 August 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2022 .
^ Schöggl, Hans (11 June 2023). "Tibet — GCMGC Gold Cup Winners" . rsssf.com . Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 8 December 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022 .
^ "HIMALAYAN SC WINS BIMAL GHOSH MEMORIAL TROPHY" . sikkimexpress.com . Gangtok: The Sikkim Express. 27 December 2019. Archived from the original on 16 January 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2022 .
^ "UNITED SIKKIM FC TO HOST U-14 SNOW LION CUP" . footballnewsindia.in . Football News India. I-Sikkim. 13 December 2013. Archived from the original on 23 June 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2023 .
^ Pradhan, Sujal (15 December 2022). "Sikkim: Namsoong Futsal Tournament Kicks Off At Chandmari" . northeasttoday.in . Gangtok: The North-East Today. Archived from the original on 16 December 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2023 .
^ "Sikkim Aakraman FC wins Chandmari Futsal tournament 2020" . East News . 24 December 2020. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021 .
State teams Clubs League competitions Cup competitions Stadiums