Sikkim Football Association renames championship to SFA A Division League

The Sikkim Football Association (SFA), on August 30 decided to change nomenclature of championship which will begin on August 31, at Paljor Stadium as SFA “A” DIVISION LEAGUE.

The decision was made by the association during its executive committee meeting which was held at Football House, Gangtok.

This comes after a dispute over the upcoming Sikkim Premier League (SPL), pitting the Sikkim Football Association (SFA) against the state government erupted today. The conflict centres on who has the right to organise and host the prestigious football tournament.

The SFA recently announced plans to hold the 2024-25 SPL at Paljor Stadium in Gangtok from August 31 to October 10, featuring eight premier division clubs. However, this decision has drawn sharp criticism from Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang.

"Recently, through digital media platforms, I came to know that the Sikkim Football Association is conducting a separate Sikkim Premier League. As everybody knows, the SPL is already being professionally managed by Football Development (P) Ltd. with the primary goal of promoting football in our state," Tamang stated.