United Sikkim FC launched in new avatar

United Sikkim Football Club (formerly United Sikkim Sporting Club) was relaunched yesterday at Kolkata's Taj Bengal hotel announcing the squad for the 2nd Division I-League along with the launch of the new club logo which has been designed by Philippe de Ridder.

"As a national player for over a decade (more than 15 years), I had a dream to own a football club. I see it fulfilled today. It's a historic day. I wish to make United Sikkim a big name in India," said Indian football icon Baichung Bhutia yesterday.

A strong team has been put together for the 2nd Division I-League with internationals like Renedy Singh and N.S. Manju in the squad plus seasoned pros on the Indian circuit like M. Suresh, Kalia Kulothungan, Bijen Singh and Jiten Rai, young talents and some good foreigners in Japanese defender Mituski Ichihara and Liberian attacking player John D. Menyongar.

The owners of the now professional club were also named. The majority stakeholder is Dubai-based FidelisWorld, while Baichung Bhutia and musical maestro Shankar Mahadevan are other joint owners of the club. Baichung also tried to bring Bollywood star John Abraham on board, but that hasn't worked out.

Mahadevan of the Shankar-Ehsan-Loy musical fame, who composed the popular World Cup theme song 'De Ghuma Ke' said he wanted to compose something different for the club. Mahadevan said, "I am composing a song for the team. I hope it will be as popular as my previous songs."


The Facebook fanpage of United Sikkim FC .


UNITED SIKKIM FC

Goalkeepers
Debjit Majumdar, Sukhdeb Ghosh, Tashi Tseten Bhutia

Defenders
Nanjangud Shivananju Manju, Mituski Ichihara, Muttath Suresh, Bijoy Das, V. Prem Kumar, Tanmoy Ghosh, Sumit Thapa, Pranesh Dewan, Sagar Rai

Midfielders
Potsangbam Renedy Singh, John D. Menyongar, APD Carvalho (Beto), Kalia Kulothungan, Beikhokhei Beingaichho, Lalrinfela, Martin Louis Joseph Daniel, Jiten Rai, Nim Tshering Lepcha, Pradip Hembrom, Mayal Dok Lepcha

Forwards
Baichung Bhutia, Joseph Lapira, Mutum Bijen Singh, Budhiram Tudu, Tenzing Tsephel Bhutia

Officials
Stanley Rozario (Chief Coach), Satyabrata Bhowmick (Assistant Coach), Arjun Rai (Manager)

Renedy to captain United Sikkim, Manju also joins

Baichung Bhutia has been able to bring in international midfielder Renedy Singh and defender N.S. Manju to play for his club United Sikkim Football Club in the upcoming I-League second division. This was disclosed by the club at a press conference in the Sikkimese capital Gangtok on Thursday evening.

In total 30 players have been signed by the club for its maiden 2.Division I-League campaign. The 30 players are made up of four foreigners, 11 players from Sikkim including Baichung and the other 15 from across the country. The team will be coached by Stanley Rozario and is preparing itself for the 2.Division in Kolkata at the Sports Authority of India (Eastern Zone) training complex.

Baichung disclosed that the club would be kitted by Nike plus that long-time friend and India team-mate Renedy Singh would be captain of the team. Renedy has signed a contract until the end of the season and stated that the club has huge potential but needed the support from the local community to achieve its goals.

Baichung said that his aim was to see United Sikkim in the I-League in three years, but he is confident that the club could achieve it this season itself in an aim to revive interest in the beautiful game and get further government support to develop the game.