Gangtok Himalayan SC

Indian association football club

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

Home colours

Away colours

|

Gangtok Himalayan SC (sometimes known as Sikkim Himalayans) is an Indian professional football club based in Gangtok, Sikkim.[5] The Club Plays in I-League 3 and the Sikkim Premier Division 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]

## History

[edit]

### Formation and journey

[edit]

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.

### I-League fate

[edit]

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]

### 2020–present

[edit]

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]

## Rivalry

[edit]

Gangtok Himalayan has a rivalry with their fellow Sikkim based club United Sikkim FC,[40] whom they usually face in regional tournaments including Sikkim Premier Division League.[41][42] 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.[43]

## Stadium

[edit]

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.[44][45] The club has also used the stadium for matches of regional tournaments like Sikkim Premier Division League.[46][47][48][49] It was opened in 1943 and has artificial turf.[50][51]

## Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors

[edit]

Period  | Kit manufacturer  | Shirt sponsor

|
|

2015—2020  | Vamos[52] | Organic Sikkim

## Past internationals

[edit]

* 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)[53]
* Tashi Samphel (2016–2018)[54]
* Tashi Tsering (2009–2010)[Note 1][55]
* Tsering Dhundup (2007–2008)[56]
* Pema Lhundup (2018–2019)[57]
* Yogesh Gurung (2013–2014)[58]
* Karma Tsewang (2015–2017)[Note 2][59]
* Stephen Harry (2017–2018)[60]

## Honours

[edit]

### League

[edit]

* Sikkim Premier Division League
* Champions (1): 2014[61]
* Runners-up (1): 2016,[62] 2023

### Cup

[edit]

* Sikkim Governor's Gold Cup
* Runners-up (1): 2019[63][64]
* Independence Day Football Tournament
* Champions (1): 2019[65]
* Kohima Royal Gold Cup
* Champions (1): 1996[66]
* Darjeeling Gurkha Gold Cup
* Runners-up (1): 2012[67]
* Gyalyum Chenmo Memorial Gold Cup
* Runners-up (1): 2018[68]
* Bimal Ghosh Memorial Trophy
* Runners-up (1): 2019[69]

## Other departments

[edit]

### Youth football

[edit]

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.[70]

### Futsal

[edit]

Gangtok Himalayan has men's futsal section, that participated in tournaments like Chandmari Futsal Championship.[71][72]

## See also

[edit]

* List of football clubs in India

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^

Besides Nepal national football team, Tashi Tsering also represented Tibet national football team in non-FIFA international matches.

2. ^

Karma Tsewang is an Indian-born footballer, who represents Tibet national football team in non-FIFA international matches.

## References

[edit]

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24. ^ 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.
25. ^ 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.
26. ^ "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.
27. ^ "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.
28. ^ "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.
29. ^ "Results & Fixtures: 2nd Division I-League". I-League.org. Archived from the original on 12 November 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
30. ^ 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.
31. ^ 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.
32. ^ "Durand Cup: Shivajians FC face 'Himalayan' task". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
33. ^ "India 2019/20: Sikkim Governor's Gold Cup". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
34. ^ 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.
35. ^ "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.
36. ^ "Sikkim Governor's Gold Cup 2019 Final". int.soccerway.com. Soccerway. Archived from the original on 27 September 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
37. ^ "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.
38. ^ "AAHA RARA GOLD CUP (2020)". Nepal90.com. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
39. ^ 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.
40. ^ "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.
41. ^ 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.
42. ^ 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)
43. ^ "Gangtok Himalayan SC vs United Sikkim (Sikkim Gold Cup 2019)". Soccerway.com. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
44. ^ "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.
45. ^ "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.
46. ^ 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)
47. ^ "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.
48. ^ 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.
49. ^ "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.
50. ^ "Paljor Stadium". soccerway. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
51. ^ "USFC concludes training for Kalinga Cup & 2nd Div I-League". iSikkim. Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
52. ^ 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.
53. ^ 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.
54. ^ "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.
55. ^ "Tibetan National Sports Association (TNSA)". Archived from the original on 30 May 2007. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
56. ^ "Shaolin Soccer Foot au Tibet, team 2008". olympiquemidilirou.midiblogs.com. Archived from the original on 25 May 2008. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
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62. ^ "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.
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65. ^ "Paljor Stadium Gangtok News". localgymsandfitness.com. Archived from the original on 16 December 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
66. ^ 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.
67. ^ "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.
68. ^ 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.
69. ^ "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.
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## Future reading

[edit]

* 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

[edit]

* 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

* v
* t
* e

Football in Sikkim

Sikkim Football Association

State teams|

* Sikkim football team
* Sikkim women's football team

Clubs|

* Gangtok Himalayan
* Sikkim Aakraman
* United Sikkim
* Denzong Boys

League competitions|

* Sikkim Premier Division League
* Sikkim Premier League
* Sikkim Women's Super League

Cup competitions|

* Sikkim Gold Cup
* Independence Cup

Stadiums|

* Paljor Stadium
* Bhaichung Stadium

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