Sports Academy tryouts begin Wednesday

The State Sports Academy at Gangtok has emerged as a centre of excellence in as far as producing footballers with the skills and grooming to play among the best in the country. Graduates of this academy are presently playing in popular Indian Super League, I-League and other reputed football clubs of the country, with still others wearing Army and Sikkim Police colours. Nirmal Chettri, Sanju Pradhan, Robin Gurung are a few among the more successful footballers who trained at the State Sports Academy.
Every year, players from the Academy are picked up by different clubs, Army and Sikkim Police and in this process, their seats fall vacant. To fill these seats, the Department of Sports & Youth Affairs, which manages the programme, conducts selection trails every year. The Academy has a prescribed strength of 30 players.

Sports selection trials for SAI SAG Centre at Namchi

NAMCHI, 04 Dec: The Sports Authority of India (SAI) is scouting for fresh talent to be admitted at SAI Special Area Games [SAG] Centre, Namchi, South Sikkim. SAI will be conducting selection trials for both girls and boys between 14-16 years of age, however age relaxation will be considered in case of meritorious individuals. The trials will be conducted at SAI SAG Centre, Allay, Namchi from 13-14 December.
The selection trial will be conducted in various disciplines like archery, boxing, football and taekwondo. The selection committee will comprise of District Collector South, Superintendent of Police South, Joint Director Sports and Youth Affairs South, Assistant Director Sports and Youth Affairs South, Assistant Director SAI SAG Centre Namchi, Medical Officer along with the coaches of the respective disciplines.
Preference will be given to players of Sikkimese origin. Financial assistance will also be provided for selected Residential Trainees.