Shillong Lajong Football Club needs no introduction. The first football club of northeast India to not only take part in the most prestigious soccer carnival of the country – the I-League but also to give the top football giants of the country a run for its money. In 2011-2012 this football giant from Shillong qualified for the second time in the I-League.
Founded in 1983 by two football enthusiasts former Meghalaya minister late Kitdor Syiem and PD Sawyan the Shillong Lajong Football Club was earlier known as Lajong Sports Social and Cultural Club. It hired former Indian international- who was the first Indian to score a hat trick in international match- Lt. Col (Retd.) Puran Bahadur Thapa as its first coach. Lajong means “Our Own” in Khasi.
However in 2008 the club was rechristened as Shillong Lajong Football Club. This is one club that strives to improve the quality of football it plays. In its earlier avatar the club had won its first championship trophy in the 3rd division category in 1983 and was promoted in the 2nd division the very next year. Subsequently it was promoted to the 1st division won its first Shillong Championship in 1989 against Blue Max FC.
The club had its period of greatest success in 1990. They won the Meghalaya Invitation Cup Championship defeating Nabajyoti FC, another football giant of Guwahati.
In recent years Shillong Lajong Football Club has been by far the most successful team of northeast India and Meghalaya as it is the only team to play in the prestigious I-League. Under the guidance of its young and dynamic secretary Mr. Larsing Ming Sawyan, who is also a member of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the club is scaling greater height.
The Shillong Lajong Football Club first entry into the prestigious I-League was in 2008-09 season under the guidance of former national assistant coach Hering Shangpliang. In 2009-10 season, Shillong Lajong FC gained entry into the I-League. Former Salgaocar and East Bengal coach Stanley Rozario was roped in as its coach for its first season in India’s top flight. However in its debut year the team was relegated to second division.
But the Shillong Lajong Football Club its promoter Larsing Ming was undaunted as he had said after his team was pushed back into the second division to his friends and well-wishers, “No problem even Dempo (2009-10 champions) were once relegated to second division and we will make a comeback in style.”
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Comeback, the team did and for the third time it will be playing the I-League. Since 2011 Mr. Pradyum Reddy, a Scottish-born Indian is coaching Shillong Lajong Football Club. The players come from states like Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam apart from foreign players.
Under Larsing Ming, Shillong Lajong Football Club became the first club in the country to sign a five years FDI agreement with Anglian Holdings, an NRI investment in football club, even as it retained a majority ownership and its unique identity. The foreign investment was brought in to promote and improve the standard of the game by giving maximum exposure to the Indian footballers and bringing them at par at the international level.
The Shillong Lajong Football Club has a huge fan following and it is not surprising that in any of its match the stadium overflows with its supporters.- By Suraj Joshi
can i also join tour team?