State-level football trials held for State Sports Academy vacancies

GANGTOK, 05 Feb: Eighty-three footballers from all four districts attended the state-level selection trials for admission into the State Sports Academy here under the Department of Sports & Youth Affairs held today at Paljor Stadium. There are 15 seats lying vacant in the Academy and these trials were held to fill up those seats.

Footballers aged between 14 to 17 years were shortlisted from the district-level selection trials held earlier. In the district-level trials, 42 footballers from East district, 12 from West, 22 from North and 07 from South district were selected. The district level trials were held on 28 January for West and North districts, 30 January for South and finally for East district on 04 February.

The contenders were selected by a 3-member state level selection committee comprising of former national footballers from Sikkim, Hangu Norden Lepcha, Kushal Subba and Nima Thendup.

SYA Deputy Director [coaching], Thupden Rapgyal informs that the total strength of the State Sports Academy is 30, and at present 15 positions are lying vacant as some of its students have joined reputed clubs within and outside the state, some got jobs and others left the Academy after finishing class XII.

He informs that the selection committee will be releasing the merit list of 30 footballers from the state-level trials by Thursday evening.

Mr Rapgyal informs that on the basis of the merit list, players will be admitted into the academy after completion of the process of verification of documents, etc.