Sikkim Governor’s Gold Cup

Results of Nov 2:

1. Bhutan XI vs Tibetam NFA 3-0
Scorers: Gyeltshen (27), Wangay Dorje (38, 61)

2. Punjab Police vs Mumbai United (0-0; 6-5 on penalties)

Indian Idol show affects Gold Cup schedule:

With Indian Idol Prashant Tamang scheduled to perform at Paljor Stadium at Gangtok on November 5, the first semi-final of the All India Governor’s Gold Cup will be postponed by a day.

At the programme, Sikkim chief minister Pawan Chamling will release Prashant’s first music album.

Sony Entertainment is going to release 30,000 CDs of Prashant’s songs and will keep the proceeds of 20,000 CDs, each priced at Rs 150. The remaining 10,000 will be given to the local organisers, who will use the proceeds to pay off their BSNL telephone bills, which ran into lakhs when they had voted en-masse for Prashant to help him win the talent hunt contest.

While the news of Prashant’s visit will bring cheers to music-lovers in the state, members of the Sikkim Football Association (SFA) are worried about the potential financial losses of hosting two semi-finals on the same day (November 6).

SFA said this would mean a loss of around Rs 7 lakh from gate receipts alone.
Efforts to postpone the Prashant show had failed because Chamling will be unavailable after November 5.

Gold Cup not drawing Gangtok crowd:

The annual Governor’s Gold Cup usually draws a huge number of people to the Paljor Stadium.

But, according to reports, the strength of spectators this year has dramatically come down as compared to previous years.

There area a number of reasons for this, including the exclusion of big teams, unanticipated hike in the entry fee and dearth of publicity campaign.

The delay from the side of the state Home Department in issuing a circular to grant all government offices, institutions, schools and colleges half-holidays during the day of the matches right from the beginning of the Gold Cup has also contributed to the low crowd at the stadium.

SFA, on the other hand, said the entry fee has been increased by Rs 5 for both single and doubles matches and this was done considering the money spent on the teams everything from food, lodging and transportation to game fee and other miscellaneous expenses.
Besides, the rate for entry tickets has been revised after a gap of nearly seven years.

The Association at present charges Rs 25 from the earlier rate at Rs 20 per head for the hillside gallery and Rs 30 for double matches.

Similarly, for the southern and northern gallery, the rates have gone up as high as Rs 40 for single and Rs 50 for double matches alongside Rs 50 for single and Rs 70 for double matches for viewers interested in taking a seat in the western gallery. As for the VIP gallery, the entry fee remains the same at Rs 200.

The organisers, it seems, also failed to publicise the event like the earlier years. For instance, the use of mobile vans to inform the public about the daily highlight could not be done owing to the Code of Conduct.

Lack of floodlights in the premise of Paljor Stadium was another reason that annoyed the people. The 2nd quarter final match played between Chittagaon Abahoni (Bangladesh) and Punjab Police had to be called off due to absence of light.

Moreover, the electronic score board installed last and priced at Rs 50 Lakhs still does not function.

Source: The Sikkim Times