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| Paljor Stadium in Gangtok, where the final leg of the I-League’s second division will be held from March 29 to April 17 |
Gangtok, March 22: The final leg of the I-League’s second division will be held at Paljor Stadium in Gangtok where all eyes will be on Bhaichung Bhutia’s boys who are leading in the first section of the tournament being held in Siliguri.
Seven clubs will take part in the final leg that begins on March 29 and two top teams will make it to the first division of I-League when the matches conclude on April 17.
The Gangtok matches will be hosted by the Sikkim Football Association. SFA general secretary Menla Ethenpa said today that two matches would be held on most of the days in the final round in Gangtok.
“According to the fixture drawn up by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the first match will kick off at 12.30pm, followed by the second one at 2.30pm. On days of single matches, the kick-off will be at 2.30pm,” he said.
Apart from United Sikkim Football Club co-owned by Bhaichung, Mohammedan Sporting, Vasco Sporting Club, Kalighat Milan Samiti, Royal Wahingdoh, Aizwal Football Club and ONGC Mumbai will play in Gangtok.
ONGC Mumbai had been relegated from the I-League first division last year.
The same teams are presently taking part in the Siliguri leg which will end on March 25.
Ethenpa said points from the Siliguri and Gangtok matches would be tallied to know the two top teams who would be promoted to the I-League. “The SFA has decided to allow all school students in uniform to watch the matches free to popularise football and enable them to see the national teams playing,” he added.
The stadium has a capacity to pack 30,000 spectators and Rs 20 will be charged for a seat in the hillside gallery. The SFA said the ticket price for a berth in the southern and northern galleries would be Rs 30, while spectators will have to shell out Rs 50 each for a seat in the western gallery.
Tickets for VIP gallery will come at Rs 100 each.
With United Sikkim leading the Siliguri leg with 13 points from five matches, expectations are high among football lovers here that the team will qualify for the I-League top division.
“We are looking forward to that day. It will be big achievement for a small state like Sikkim to have a club in the I-League. It will be a proud day and a big turning point for Sikkim football,” said SFA president B.K. Roka.
“In such an eventuality, soccer lovers in Sikkim would get regular opportunities to watch premier clubs like Mohan Bagan, East Bengal and Dempo SC playing at Paljor Stadium,” he added.
The AIFF rules say every team in the I-League division must play on the home turf as well as at the rival’s native place.
United Sikkim’s last match in Siliguri will be against Mohammedan Sporting on March 24.
The management of the Bhaichung club hopes that it can keep up the momentum in the final round also.
“We are doing well in the Siliguri leg having won four matches and drawn one. We are the table toppers now and the players are confident that they can perform well in the final round also,” said United Sikkim senior manager Arjun Rai.
Rai said United Sikkim would attract a lot of ground support on the home turf.
“We are expecting a large number of people to root for the club at Paljor Stadium during our matches and their support will be a boost for our players. The other advantage is that we will be playing on the artificial turf at Paljor Stadium where our players practise daily.”(Telegraph)
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