Thursday, Aug 13, 2026 21:45 [IST]
Last Update: Wednesday, Aug 12, 2026 16:11 [IST]
GANGTOK,: St. Joseph’s College Darjeeling produced a dramatic late winner to
edge past SSB 3-2 and book their place in the final of the ongoing State-level
Independence Day Football Tournament for the Sir Chogyal Tashi Namgyal Memorial
Cup 2026 at Paljor Stadium here on Wednesday.
With
the semi-final seemingly headed for extra time after an entertaining 2-2
stalemate, Umesh Karki struck within the third minute of added time to send the
Darjeeling side into the final and cap a memorable debut in the prestigious
tournament.
The
Paljor Stadium crowd was treated to an attacking contest, with both sides
creating chances and finding the net early.
Jatin
gave SSB the lead in the 11th minute, but St. Joseph’s College restored parity
just eight minutes later through a fine strike from Ronald Singh.
The
Darjeeling side was awarded a penalty in the 39th minute after an SSB defender
brought down an opponent inside the box with an ill-timed tackle. Phurba Tamang
made no mistake from the spot to give St. Joseph’s College a 2-1 lead at
half-time.
SSB
came out strongly after the break and levelled the score within four minutes,
with Jamkhao Pao producing a thunderous long-range volley to make it 2-2.
Both
teams continued to show attacking intent but were unable to find a
breakthrough, and the match appeared destined for extra time. Karki, however,
had other plans, finding the decisive goal in stoppage time to seal a historic
victory for the Darjeeling outfit.
It
was the first time St. Joseph’s College had participated in the State-level
tournament, organised by the Sikkim Football Association (SFA) under the aegis
of the Home Department of the Government of Sikkim.
The
tournament is invitational, with the SFA selecting participating teams
according to its norms. St. Joseph’s College earned its place after being
crowned Darjeeling league champions.
Former
MP Hishey Lachungpa was the chief guest for the semi-final, while actress
Shyamashree Sherpa was the guest of honour.
The
second semi-final on Thursday afternoon will be an all-Sikkim affair, with
Sikkim Brotherhood FC taking on Thunderbolt North United.
