The Board of Control for Cricket in India has appointed Lobzang G. Tenzing, the president of the Sikkim Cricket Association, as the manager of the India Under-19 team for both the Asia Cup and the World Cup.
While the Asia Cup will be conducted by the Asia Cricket Council in the UAE from December 23 to 31, the International Cricket Council (ICC)-organised World Cup will be in the West Indies from January 14 to February 5.
Tenzing, who was recently re-elected as the SICA president, has been at the helm of Sikkim cricket since 2016 when the Himalayan state was only an associated member of the BCCI. The SICA was granted full membership of the BCCI in 2018 and has since been participating in all major national tournaments, including the Ranji Trophy.
Even though cricket pales compared to football in terms of popularity, Sikkim has been making steady progress in the sport in the past couple of years with its junior teams in particular doing very well.
Earlier in October, both its Under-19 women’s and men’s teams performed impressively in the qualifying rounds of the BCCI-organised Women’s Under-19 One-day Trophy and Vinoo Mankad Trophy, respectively. The women, in fact, had qualified for the main event of the tournament with an all-win record.
Tenzing, who is the first administrator from the state to be appointed the manager of an Indian team, said he was pleased and honoured to be nominated as the manager and thanked BCCI secretary Jay Shah for the opportunity. “I am pleased and honoured to be in the presence of the future cricket stars of the country. I hope to bring some dazzles of these stars back home and to our region”, he said.
An SICA release said Tenzing worked hard for ensuring better infrastructure, enhanced funds and recognition from the BCCI for cricket bodies of not only his home state, but also that of other northeastern states.
“The SICA is proud that the BCCI has reposed its trust in the administrative abilities by appointing him as the manager of the India Under-19 team and also feels that his new responsibility will give a boost to the confidence of the Northeast cricket associations in producing national-level players and administrators of the game,” it added.
