When Volleyball ruled Singtam!!

{Much before Ravangla was claimed 'the home of volleyball in Sikkim’; it was Singtam that had its synonyms with the game of volleyball.}

Singtam is a major business 'power-house' town in the state of Sikkim and also the gateway to the other three districts of Sikkim. Once known in and across the state for its volleyball skills; Singtam of today is a crowded bazaar. Every small space in Singtam is filled with household buildings and shopping complexes. Old folks still talk about those golden days of the volleyball matches that were played here and how the small town of Singtam then had its own dignity and supremacy.

Looking back at those bygone days when volleyball was not only a game but a religion, it is nothing more of nostalgia. The people of Singtam have always been great admirers of sports, be it cricket, football and, of course, volleyball. The Orchid Club of Singtam is now a part of Singtam folklore. When people talk of Singtam, it would always veer around volleyball. The Orchid Club of Singtam was one of the best in Sikkim and had won many laurels. Such was the strength of the Orchid Club that it had two teams – Orchid Yellow and Orchid Blue.

On each year's Independence Day celebration, a volleyball tournament used to be held at Singtam ground (opposite Personality Tailor, where now a shopping plaza has been set up) that brought the crowds to their feet. There was a time when people of Singtam used to keenly await Independence Day, much for the sake of a volleyball tourney. Different teams from the state and beyond including Nepal, Bhutan, Darjeeling, Siliguri, and even from (then) Calcutta had some of their wonderful moments here. Biru and Kundaley, players from our neighbouring Nepal, and Khalid brothers from Darjeeling hired by the local clubs had their own fan following. But volleyball in Singtam has had a sudden decline and is now a story of the past.

Loud cheering could be heard all over the ground. Father carrying their children on their shoulders was a very common sight. From the screaming of a girl to the laughter of the women, it was all possible when the Orchid Club, the home team had their game. Students dressed in black and white usually circled the playing ground. My two classmates Sandeep Thatal and Intekab Alam from Singtam Secondary School, better known by their nicknames Tyson and Raja were a celebrity of their own. Throughout the month of August, volleyball would be the talk of the town.

During those days, the wait for the clock to strike two used to seem endless and even the fury of Singtam’s afternoon heat wasn’t a matter of any concern. People of all colours and costumes, be it, small children or elderly citizens, everyone enjoyed the game. Today, the ground has been replaced by a shopping center and the loud cheers during those competitions are long lost. Gupta daju, Tshering daju, Rai Kumar daju, Bhuwan daju, Kailash daju, Unarayan daju, Ugen daju, Pradeep daju, to name a few, are now a part of the golden history of Singtam’s volleyball team.