23/12/2025
Santosh Trophy: A Look Back
I may have appeared calm on the outside but inside I was extremely nervous. This was my first assignment as Head Coach leading Sikkim in the prestigious Santosh Trophy. The pressure increased as we were up against the home team on their own turf, with the crowd firmly behind Meghalaya, a strong side with a rich football legacy.
In the opening match against Meghalaya, we went into half time trailing by a goal. The response in the second half was outstanding. The boys showed great belief and character to come back strongly and secure a 2–1 victory. Despite limited preparation, we had a balanced squad with experienced players who had played top tier football across the country, along with a few who were appearing at the national level for the first time. I was pleased with the intensity, discipline, and unity shown by the entire group. The players on the field, those on the bench, and the support staff stayed together throughout the tournament. The team followed the plan well, and the substitutes made a real impact. The performance in the first match went beyond my expectations.
The second match against Arunachal Pradesh ended in a narrow 0–1 defeat and turned into a tough midfield battle. Arunachal had spent nearly a week in Meghalaya preparing and acclimatising, and they managed to mark our key players effectively. While changes were possible, I felt taking risks at that stage would have been unwise, so we stuck to the plan we had prepared. Injuries meant some players could not be replaced. Even then, we created several good scoring opportunities. Once again, our goalkeeper was outstanding and kept us in the game with some excellent saves. I do wish I had seen Arunachal play earlier so that we could have prepared better. With very little recovery time after the first match, the boys still showed great character and fought till the final whistle, keeping hopes alive for football loving people of Sikkim and beyond.
Our journey from NJP to Guwahati was long and exhausting, made more difficult by the heat and minimal rest. Despite these challenges, the players performed with pride in both matches. I sincerely thank the Sikkim Football Association for trusting me and giving me the opportunity to lead this team. Big shout out and huge appreciation to all the players, support staff along my brother and Assistant Coach, Ashish Chettri. I am also grateful to the football loving people of Sikkim for their encouragement through social media and phone calls. Thank you all for the unwavering support from day one until our final game.
