Lokendra Football Academy to represent Sikkim at Shillong International Youth Football Tournament

Guwahati: Established in 2019, Lokendra Football Academy (LFA), Yangtey–Gyalshing, is all set to represent Sikkim at the Shillong International Youth Football Tournament, scheduled to be held from January 12 to 17 at Naugram Football Ground, Shillong.

The LFA team will compete in the Under-12, Under-13, and Under-15 categories, following an invitation from the Shillong International Youth Club.

District Football Coach from the State Sports Department, Michael Lepcha, said that upon receiving the invitation, it was decided to provide an opportunity to talented players from rural areas.

Trials were conducted on November 22 and 23 at Sombaria Ground, followed by a one-month winter coaching camp to prepare the players for the tournament.

A total of 104 players from various age groups participated in the trials. Out of them, 50 players were shortlisted, and finally 18 players were selected to form the official team.

Most of the selected players hail from Yangtey village, with nine players belonging to the Daramdin constituency, highlighting strong grassroots participation.

Founder of Lokendra Football Academy, Lokendra Gurung, shared that although he could not contribute much as a player, he was associated with the Namchi Sports Academy, where Coach Michael Lepcha was his senior.

While Lepcha joined the Sports Department, Gurung decided to work independently and established LFA in 2019 with the aim of uplifting grassroots football in rural areas.

He added that the academy has received consistent support from the Chief Minister of Sikkim, who had encouraged the initiative during his tenure as Sports Minister and continues to support LFA’s football development efforts.

“This Under-15 tournament in Shillong will provide crucial exposure to our players. Our goal is to help them progress to bigger clubs and better academies for their overall growth,” Gurung said.

LFA has already seen success, with several players being shortlisted at the national level. Notably, Rapgyal Lepcha has been selected for the East Bengal Reserve Team, while Nayan Chettri and three other players have also caught the attention of national-level clubs.

This Shillong tournament marks the first official team participation since the academy’s formal registration.