CHAMPIONS! USSCA wins Mahendra Karki Memorial Veterans Football Tourney

USSCA Aho Pakyong defeated Real Friends Rangpo 3-1 on penalties to lift the 4^th Mahendra Karki Memorial Veterans Football Tournament during the final held at Paljor Stadium, Gangtok on Sunday.

Sports minister Raju Basnet handed away the trophies to the winners and runners up in presence of Gangtok MLA Delay Namgyal Barfungpa, Rinchenpong MLA Erung Tenzing Lepcha, Gnathang-Machong MLA Pamin Lepcha, deputy Mayor Tshering Palden Bhutia and other dignitaries.

Sikkim Boys FC annually organises the veterans’ football tournament in memory of late Mahendra Karki, a prominent footballer of Sikkim.

Ankur Tamang of Real Friends Rangpo was adjudged the ‘Man of the Match’, while the ‘Man of the Tournament’ trophy was presented to Milan Lepcha of 27-Gangtok team. Bhupendra Khewa of USSCA Aho Pakyong took the ‘Highest Scorer’ trophy and USSCA goalkeeper Prashant Dadul Chettri received the ‘Best Goalkeeper’ trophy.

During the finals, Sikkim Boys also felicitated former prominent footballer Jordan Karthak and bodybuilder Navin Pradhan.

The veterans’ tournament had participation of teams from across Sikkim and neighbouring regions.