Prem Singh Tamang (Golay), the chief minister of Sikkim met Kalyan Chaubey, president of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), and urged him to take the initiative to promote football in the Himalayan state that has bred some ace footballers including former Indian skipper Bhaichung Bhutia.

Golay, who met Choubey during a recent visit to Calcutta, said on social media that he wants more soccer players to come up in Sikkim.

“I met the AIFF president and we engaged in a discussion on the development of football in our state, exploring various initiatives that could create better opportunities for aspiring football players. I also briefed him on the club culture in our region, emphasising the importance of grassroots football to nurture and promote the next generation of footballers,” he said in the post.

“In response, Chaubey appreciated our approach in promoting football and assured full support from AIFF,” Golay added.

A source in the Sikkim Football Association (SFA) said Chaubey visited Gangtok a couple of years back to attend a meeting of the executive committee of the Federation. At the meeting, issues related to the promotion of football in the state were discussed and a proposal was mooted to develop a centre of excellence for the sports in Sikkim.

“We thank the chief minister for his initiative for improvement of the infrastructure for soccer and some other sports,” said Phurba Sherpa, the general secretary of SFA.

He pointed out that along with Bhaichung, who has excelled at the international level, other players like Ashish Rai and Phurba Lachenpa are playing in teams like the Mohun Bagan SuperGiants and the Mumbai City FC.

“It proves that there is no dearth of talent in our state. We need to nurture them properly and should have a proper infrastructure,” Sherpa added.

A source in SFA said as of now, Sikkim has two football stadiums, the Paljor Stadium in Gangtok and the Bhaichung Bhutia Stadium in Namchi. “The state is developing two similar stadiums in Gayzing and Soreng, which will boost many young talents in the state," he said.