Dzongu’s Nim Lepcha to skipper Bhaichung’s United Sikkim

SAGAR CHHETRI
GANGTOK, 12 July: Local lad Nim Tshering Lepcha has been chosen to lead United Sikkim Football Club as captain for the 2011-12 season. USFC’s new squad of 35 players began training here at Paljor Stadium under their chief coach, Stanley Rosario and assistant coach, Pranay Subba today.
The 2-hour training session was also joined by the club owner and star-attraction, Bhaichung Bhutia and Rennedy Singh.

While almost all the players of the club have reached Gangtok, Baba Tundey, a Nigerian player, will be arriving tomorrow and three players from Manipur and a few others likely to join the team shortly.
The club has signed 3 foreign players for this season- Bidemi Daniel, Quantum Jacob and Baba Tundey. It has also signed three national players from Manipur, Sushil Kumar Singh, Gobind Singh and Thor Singh.
This time the club has signed players of Sporting Club-de-Goa, Churchill Brothers, JCT, Arhima, JCT and Salgaonkar and a new set of goalkeepers. There will be 7 players from Sikkim including Bhaichung.
Speaking to media persons after the training session, Bhaichung highlighted that the main target for the club is to qualify for I-League and win the Federation Cup. He added that the team will also be playing the tournaments within and outside the state.
He also stated that it was good that a local lad is leading the team and informed that Nim Tshering, given his performance in the last season deserves to be the captain.
Bhaichung also pointed out that Sikkim was a new place for many of the players and it will take time for them to get used of it.
He informed that the team will practice every day except Sunday’s at Paljor Stadium and will be paying a monthly fee to the stadium management. 
Likewise, Mr Rosario thanked the management of the club for appointing him as the chief coach of the club.
He mentioned that this season, the club has an even better team and has received a fantastic ground and weather for training. The first target is to play in the I-Day Football Tournament at Gangtok and Federation Cup eventually, he said.
Mr Rosario expressed his happiness over the team composition. He stated that the team has the composition of experienced and young players who already have played with renowned players of the country.
He stated that the team will be training hard since it has just around 15 days to prepare for the I-day Football Tournament.
While recalling the experience of the last season of I-League, he mentioned with just 3 months training the team had played extremely well by topping the qualifying round and losing only one match in the final round.
“Now things are different and the team has started at the right time with a full contingent and there is a more hope for a better performance in this season,” Mr Rosario said.
The new team captain, 23-years old Nim Tshering from Dzongu, who is a product of the first batch of Namchi Sports Hostel and has also trained at the State Sports Hostel, has already played in the different renowned club in the country.
He thanked the club for giving him such a big opportunity and responsibility. He assured that he will do his best to lead the club to qualifying in the I-League.
He also expressed his happiness on the new composition of the young and experienced players in the team and mentioned that this year, the club has a better team than the last year.
The Public Relation Officer of the club, Pema L Shangderpa, informed that a meeting of the club was convened yesterday and on the basis of his hardwork and dedication towards the team and performance in the last season, Nim Tshering was chosen as the captain for the new season.
He added that the month of July is a preparatory period for the club in which the players were conditioning mainly in physical training, speed, endurance, concentration and other skills.
Mr Shangderpa informed that the club has decided to participate in all major tournaments within and outside the state.
The club is starting its tournament calendar with the Independence Day Football Tournament at Paljor Stadium in August, and then it plans to travel outs to play friendly matches with other clubs of the country.
He informed that the Club will also playing in the Federation Cup and Sikkim-League senior division and friendly matches in all north-eastern states to build a good relation in the month of September and then will be participating in the Durand Cup.
The club also plans to organize a North Eastern Cup in Mizoram in the month of November and then it will take a short break.
The PRO informed that after a short break, Preparatory Period- II and III will be held in the months of December and January targeting for the I-League.
He informed that at yesterday meeting, Bhaichung thanked all the players and the coaches for joining the team and was optimistic that the players will gel as a team soon despite of the language and culturl variations.