PEM DORJI MEMORIAL CUP - 2009

  • 27-09-2008 : Press Release from SFA

    After the successful completion of the 31st All India Sikkim Governor's Gold Cup Football Tournament on 22nd Sept 2009, Sikkim Football Association has another championship to offer to the football lovers of the country.

    Mr. Menla Ethenpa, General Secretary, SFA in a press release informed that in the era, when India has a Woman H.E. the President, a woman Hon'ble Speaker of Indian Parliament, a woman Chairperson of the ruling Central Government and even in a small state like Sikkim, we have 2(two) women cabinet Ministers, SFA also thought it right to organise 1st All India Women's Football Championship for Pem Dorjee Memorial Cup at Paljor Stadium, Gangtok from 7th Oct to 15th Oct 2009 where state women teams from Assam, Manipur, Bengal (two teams), Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Goa beside 2(two) teams from Sikkim are participating.

    This being the first year, the championship have limited teams but from next year, SFA wants to conduct with 12 to 16 teams. The championship has AIFF approval and they have lauded SFA efforts for the conduct of such a championship for women.

    It may not be out of place to mention here that Late Pem Dorjee, was the Captain of the India Senior Football team during 80s and represented India in several International events and he also happens to be a Sikkimese.

    Mr. Ethenpa further said that this is being organised by the SFA Women's Wing under the aegis of Sikkim Football Association and this is the first time such championship for the women is being organised in the country by a women's wing of any state association. This is to give boost to the women empowerment in the field of football also.


A TRIBUTE TO PEM DORJI

  • kolkatafootball.com - Team:Pem Dorjee popularly known as Neelu was born on 12th of July, 1958 at Gangtok to Mrs. & Mr. Gyampu T. Chingapa. He did his early schooling in Scotish University Missions Institute in Kalimpong, an Institute known for being a nursery for promising footballers of the region. He completed his schooling from the Pelling Senior Secondary School in West Sikkim.

    In his career as a footballer, he played for many clubs like Mahendra Club of Kathmandu, Kaliks Sporting Team and Shree Paanch Mahendra Police Club. He was a member of the first Sikkimese Team to play in the National Championships held at Patna in 1976.

    He represented the famous Mohammadan Sporting Club of Kolkata from 1980 and was chosen to represent India in the pre-Olympic tournament held in 1982 at Malaysia. The Central Defender of the Country, who skippered the national squad in 1980s, played for all the three major clubs in kolkata in a career spanning over a decade.The top footballers of India then were Brahmananda, Krishanu Dey, Kartik Seth, Sudip Chatterjee, Bikash Panji, Prasanto Banerjee,Moricio Afonso, Camilo Gonsalves, Sabbir Ali, Abdul Majid, Monoranjan Bhattacharyya, Xavier Pias, Krishanendu Roy, Atanu Bhattacharya, G.S.Parmar, Aloke Mukherjee, Samar Bhattacharya, Md. Farid, Tarun Dey, Narendra Gurung, Narendra Thapa and many more.

    He also played in the Nehru Gold Cup in the year 1983, 1984-85 and 1988, the President Cup at Dhaka, Bangladesh in 1983-84 and 1987, the Asia Cup in 1984, Los Angeles Pre-Olympic 1984 under Chric Milonvan's coaching (Captained for 2 matches). SAF winning Indian National team in 1987.

    Under his leadership Sikkim has defeated such giant clubs of India as Mohun Bagan and Mohammadan Sporting and States like Rajasthan, Delhi and Haryana.

    On 19the October 2001, at the age of 42, he died after battling with cancer. He was posthumously conferred the Roll of Honour by the State Government of Sikkim in 2002.