Proud to be a Sikkimese: Sikkim Travel, Culture & Local Heritage

BY SHITAL PRADHAN --> --> This is a list of twelve news that i felt was the highlight of the year. It was not easy to pick up single news from each month but if my fellow readers help me to make another list of events that was missed i am sure it would be a nice idea. January : 10-kg radish grown in Sikkim February : The Best Tourism Performing State March : 1st International Flower Show concludes April : Bhaichung Bhutia a hero for Tibetans May : Prashant Rasaily loses in the finals of Gateway Acclaimed director Anurag Basu presents the young filmmaker from Sikkim with a Bollywood script June : Rousing homecoming reception for the Everesters July : UNKNOWN ASSAILANTS ATTACK "HAMRO PRAJASHAKTI" OFFICE SEVEN JOURNALISTS GRIEVOUSLY INJURED August : Gompa Dara Lake in West Sikkim disappearsLake disappearance in Uttarey leaves villagers baffled September: Sikki...

PHOTOGPAPHED BY SHITAL PRADHAN FROM PALZOR STADIUM

I am not a football fanatic, but I cannot deny the fact that when such a significant event is being held in my own state, I can't ignore what's happening. It has been a long time since I last watched a football match at Palzor Stadium in Gangtok—perhaps more than ten years. I still remember the last state tournament I attended, which was way back in 1997 when our very own Bhaichung Bhutia played his first tournament in his home state after a successful season with East Bengal. I vividly recall his incredible bicycle kick in one of the matches during the Santosh Trophy while representing Bengal, which helped make Bhaichung the star he is today. The crowds naturally flocked to the stadium when he played in Gangtok during an event like the Governor's Gold Cup. I was there with my younger brother, just to watch Bhaichung. Ironically, Bhaichung was a year junior to me during our schooling days. When I was preparing for my class twelve examination at Tashi Namgyal Senior Secondar...

Match 13 SEMI FINAL Three Star defeated Tata Football Academy 1-1 (FULL-TIME) 1-0 (EXTRA TIME) Three Star Santosh Shaukhalah, 42 min Santosh Shaukhalah, (over-time) Tata Football Academy Jagtar Singh, 50 min THE FINALS Three Star Vs Army XI AT 13:30 hrs pic courtesy: Goal.com

Match 12 SEMI FINAL Army XI defeated Titanium Kerala 2-0 Army XI MG Rana, 59 min Somnath Das, 90 min TOMORROW'S MATCHES Three Star Vs Tata FA AT 14:15 hrs (semi-final) pic courtesy: Goal.com

Match 11 QUARTER FINAL Three Star (NEPAL) Three Star defeated Border Security Force 2-1 Three Star Rupesh KC, 1 min Sobindra Shrestha, 55 min Border Security Force Banti Singh, TOMORROW'S MATCHES Army XI Vs Titanium Kerala AT 14:15 hrs (semi-final) pic courtesy: Goal.com

Match 10 QUARTER FINAL RAJIV KUMAR, COACH OF TITANIUM (KERELA) Titanium defeated New Delhi Heroes 2-1 Titanium Shabeer, 16 min Usman, 55 min New Delhi Heroes Manoj Joshi,45 min TOMORROW'S MATCHES Three Star (Nepal) vs BSF Jalandhar AT 14:15 hrs pic courtesy: Goal.com

Match 9 QUARTER FINAL Tata Football Academy defeated Bangladesh Club DKKKS 4-0 Tata Football Academy Jagtar Singh, 19 min Gurjindar Kumar, 66 min Niroshan Mani,74 min Robin Singh, TOMORROW'S MATCHES Titanium K'la Vs New Delhi Heroes AT 14:15 hrs pic courtesy: Goal.com

Match 8 QUARTER FINAL Army XI defeated Jammu & Kashmir Bank 1-0 Army XI Thirunavakarsu , 50 min TOMORROW'S MATCHES Tata Football Academy Vs Bangladesh AT 14:15 hrs pic courtesy: Goal.com

Match 7 Tata Football Academy defeated Railways FC 1-1 (FULL-TIME) Tata Football Academy Robin Singh, 39 min Railways FC Dinseh Swar,48 min 3-0 (PENALTIES) TOMORROW'S MATCHES Army XI Vs TBD AT 14:15 hrs pic courtesy: Goal.com

Match 6 BSF Jalandhar defeated Sikkim Police 1-0 BSF Jalandhar Avinash Thapa, 26 min pic courtesy: Goal.com

Match 5 New Delhi Heroes defeated Mohun Bagan SAIL 2-2 (FULL-TIME) New Delhi Heroes Itaue, 5 and 72 min Mohun Bagan SAIL L.Daniel,34 min Praveen Kumar, 55 min 4-2 (PENALTIES) TOMORROW'S MATCHES BSF Jalandhar Vs Sikkim Police AT 12:15 hrs Tata Football Academy Vs Railway FC AT 14:15 hrs pic courtesy: Goal.com

Match 4 Jammu and Kashmir Bank defeated United Sikkim Sports Club 2-0 Jammu and Kashmir Bank S.Rizwan, 26 min Satwinder Singh, 81 min pic courtesy: Goal.com

Match 3 Railways Football Club defeated Punjab Police 0-0 (FULL-TIME) 5-3 (PENALTIES) TOMORROW'S MATCHES J&K Bank Vs United Sikkim AT 12:15 hrs MB Sail Vs New Delhi Heroes AT 14:15 hrs pic courtesy: Goal.com

Match 2 Sikkim Police defeated Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) XI 2-0 Sikkim Police Bir Bahadur Pradhan, 74 and 78 min pic courtesy: Goal.com

Match 1 United Sikkim Sports Club defeated Simla Youngs 2-1 United Sikkim Sports Club Don Tshering Lepcha, 56 min Eze Collins, 76 min Simla Youngs Ugochukwo Ogbuka, 31 mi n pic courtesy: Goal.com

GANGTOK, Nov. 7 : NRT Nepal won the ‘29th All India Governor’s Gold Cup Football Tournament 2007’ beating Three Star Nepal with 2-1 goals in the final match today. But only about 30,000 people witnessed the match today as both the teams were from Nepal. The match was no doubt very interesting since the fans applauded both the teams.  Crowds were seen waving Nepal’s national flag cheering their team. The first goal was, however, made by Niranjan Raymajhi from NRT Nepal in 18 minutes but that was returned with one goal by Jumannu Rai from Three Star Nepal, an opponent team in 33 minutes. This goal made NRT Nepal more vigorous after which Bal Gopal Shaukhal made a goal in 51 minutes. During the match interval chief minister Mr Pawan Chamling felicitated Mr Nirmal Chandra Dhahal a physically and mentally challenged boy who recently won the gold medal in the Special Olympic Game held at Shanghai in China and a veteran local footballer Chewang Thendup Shangderpa.  The winning team t...

GANGTOK, Nov. 7: People misused the declared half-holiday for the employees and students by the state government to watch the ‘Governor’s Gold Cup’ final match in Gangtok today. However, some were seen in the movie hall, while others were loitering in the park and others busy at their homes.  “This is not fair as people are misusing their half-holiday given by the state government to watch the Governor's Gold Cup since the quarter finals,” said Mr Sanjay Malhotra, a central government employee. But on the other hand, hundreds were stranded on the NH-31.  Mr Bijoy Thapa, a hard-core football fan could not go to witness the match as the taxi drivers had suspended services for 90 minutes, to see the match being played. “I am a taxi driver but I am very keen on football so today I did not drive during the match,” said Mr Damber Rai. “This match is held once in a year so I never miss it, especially when any team from Nepal plays,” he added. In the match today, a number of teenager...

03.10.2007: Sourav Rai : Sikkim Governor's Gold Cup - 2007 The countdown for the 29th All India Governor's Gold Cup Football Championship has begun in Sikkim. Launched in the year 1979 the tournament has the distinction of running without any interruptions for the last twenty seven years. No other tournament can boast of such a record, not even the Federation Cup and the Santosh Trophy, two of India's premier tourneys. The tournament is organized by the Sikkim Football Association (SFA) the apex body of all the football organizations in Sikkim with the support from the state government and some business organizations ,there is no official sponsor as such. All the matches are played at the picturesque Palzor Stadium in Gangtok. 'Gold cup' for the locals the tournament is like a festival in Sikkim, Gangtok the capital city which hosts the tournament comes alive during the period. Gold Cup becomes the talk of the town. Almost everyone plunges int...