Ace Footballer Anil Gurung signs for Shillong FC Lajong

By Sushil Thapa, Fairfax,VA

By inking   a  three  year  contract with  Shillong FC Lajong , India,  golden boy of Nepali  football  Anil  Gurung  is all set to start a new innings  in his  sparkling  young  career.

As  I write Gurung  made his debut  against Salgacor Sports Club at home  which ended in a draw. The match summary suggests that he put up a   fairly tidy  performance.  Finding a  place in the starting  line up within days upon his arrival in it  is a  good start for  the highly talented footballer.  

For the twenty-one   year   Pokhara  native  the  important  break comes following   his unsuccessful  bid to play  Club football in England.  The  striker  now has  the golden  opportunity  to mould himself into a  successful professional.

The  Indian  League  Division One  featuring  the cream of  Indian Clubs in the likes of East Bengal Club ,  Mohun Bagan AC, JCT, Dempo Sports Club, Mahindra United, Churchill Brothers SC, Mumbai SC and Air India  is  a perfect and ideal  competition for upcoming footballers like Gurung.

Shillong  FC  Lajong is the first  North- East team to make it to  the Indian League .  The Club headquartered  in  Shillong  popularly known as the “Scotland of the East”  was established in 1983 with the  sole objective to uplift the declining standard of  football in the region.

A good number of players from the region have made it to the Indian national team and  top Indian  clubs,  over the years.  The present FC Lamjong is comprised of local players and  foreign recruits, including  Gurung and three Nigerians. Also In the team are two  Indian Nepali origin players, Birendra  Thapa and Biru Chettri.

The  club’s  progress  in  domestic   football  as evidenced has been slow but steady, and took  them  twenty-six years to reach where they are today. Their  Indian  League  journey is only a handful of matches old but they  do look a   committed lot to prevail. The matter of fact is that they must perform consistently   to  survive the rigors of the  league and avoid relegation.   

We are  grateful to FC Lajong management and coach Stanley Rozario for  putting their trust and faith in Gurung and more  importantly recruiting him. The entire Nepali  sports fraternity   takes  a great  pride in the youngster’s  breakthrough.    

Going by   Gurung’s   positive frame of mind , determination,  prowess   and  appetite  for  football  he  is poised  for bigger accomplishments. Having  said  so ,  but  he cannot  take success for granted. The key   to   his  success  ultimately  depends on his ability to deliver the goods.  

He   has to prove himself a real asset to  the team , and  compete against fellow team mates to secure a place in the first playing eleven. What is true is that the  coaches have  pinned  their  hopes on him.

Gurung is a bundle of talent and  showcased it whenever he has been in action.  The  Sahara Club  Pokhara  product is  a  dexterous  ball player well  known  for his goal scoring skill and silky-smooth moves.

As a promising  bubbly  footballer he kicked off his  career with Sahara Club.  Then he   went on to   play for  Brigade Boys  Club,  Nabil Three star Club,  Manang  Marsyangdhi Club and New Road Team. There was no looking back for the youngster and quickly   won recognition from the  national coach.

After  his  successful stint with Nepal’s U-19 and U-23, he found a place in the national team. So far he  has  14 international matches under his belt.

With thirty two  goals  to  his  credit  he walked away with the top scorer honor at the last  Martyrs’ Memorial  A Division  League tournament in Kathmandu.  He was adjudged player of the year in both  Ithari’s  Gold Cup and  Governor’s  Gold  Cup.

It was in  Governor’s  Gold Cup in Sikkim  that he electrified the crowd  with his sizzling and dazzling brand of football. In  the crowd were Lajong  FC scouts who were greatly enamored of Gurung’s  brilliance.   

 Now that Gurung   has signed a lucrative deal  with   Lajong FC ,it is very  important that he makes the best of the opportunity and serves them well. The  youngster’s entry into Indian League  certainly  has opened the gates to other aspiring players in the country  waiting in the wings for a similar professional  break.  I  am  pretty confident that  more  scouts  from India  will be engaged   in talent hunt in Nepal.

My advice to the present  crop  of players in the country is-   continue  to  train, hone  your basic skills, remain physically fit and disciplined, grow in confidence,   work on  finer points of the game and refrain from  vices that can endanger your career.    

 Lastly I wish Anil  Gurung all the success .