Thursday, Jan 15, 2026 21:45 [IST]
Last Update: Wednesday, Jan 14, 2026 16:03 [IST]
GANGTOK,: Lokendra Football Academy (LFA) from Sikkim has expressed immense happiness after being selected to participate in two prestigious international youth football tournaments scheduled to be held later this year in Indonesia and Bangkok, Thailand.
Announcing the achievement, Lokendra Gurung, founder of Lokendra Football Academy, said the academy has received special entry to the Bali Super Seven Tournament in Indonesia and the Bangkok Super International Cup.
“This is a proud moment for our academy. We are delighted to inform that Lokendra Football Academy has been granted special entry to two international youth football tournaments - the Bali Super Seven in Indonesia and the Bangkok Super International Cup,” Gurung said.
The academy from Yangtey, West Sikkim achieved this prestigious international selection following an impressive and disciplined performance at the Shillong International Youth Cup 2025. The ‘Most Popular Academy’ and ‘Fair Play’ awards of the u-15 tournament were presented to the Lokendra Football Academy.
Semi-finalists of the Shillong tournament receives exemption from registration fees for two international tournaments - the Bali Super Seven in Indonesia and the Bangkok Super International Cup.
Although the Sikkim team could not progress beyond the group stage, the players’ discipline, commitment and professionalism made a strong impression on the tournament organisers who selected the Lokendra Football Academy for the upcoming international youth football tournaments.
“We may have exited in the group stage, but the support from the local crowd was overwhelming. The discipline and performance of our young players, along with the academy’s vision and professionalism, helped us win the ‘Most Popular Academy’ and ‘Fair Play’ award. Being selected for two international tournaments is a huge opportunity and exposure for our young footballers from Sikkim,” Gurung added.
Gurung also expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang (Golay) for his continued support and encouragement towards sports development in the State.
“It is the Chief Minister’s vision that sportspersons from Sikkim should receive national and international exposure. As an academy, we want to contribute towards realising this vision,” he said.
Head Coach Michael Lepcha also expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance at the Shillong tournament.
“Although we could not advance to the knockout stages, our players performed well against established academies in a high-standard tournament. The experience and exposure gained were invaluable, and we believe we achieved our objectives. The upcoming international tournaments will further boost the confidence and growth of our players,” Lepcha said.
Lokendra Football Academy conveyed its heartfelt thanks to the organisers of the Shillong International Youth Cup for giving the academy the platform to compete at a high-level tournament and for their encouragement and recognition, which led to LFA’s selection for two international youth tournaments in Southeast Asia.
Established in 2019, Lokendra Football Academy has been actively working to nurture young football talent in West Sikkim and provide players with opportunities to compete at higher levels.
