Shillong, Apr 28: It was a big day yesterday for Sporting Club Bengaluru and Dempo SC, who both secured promotion to next season’s I-League 2024-25 and they each had Meghalayans in the ranks to help get them there.
Shaiborlang Kharpan (pictured left) was part of the SC Bengaluru team that won the I-League 2 title. The club had done enough to win the title a few days ago – in all they won 11 out of 14 matches and garnered 33 points – and qualify for the I-League for the first time.
With only two teams gaining promotion, Dempo (team pictured right) went into the last day yesterday needing a point against third-placed Sudeva Delhi, who were looking for the win.
The Goan side came from a goal down to win 3-1 and return to the I-League nine years after being relegated. The club, one of the most successful in the country, won three I-League titles in 2007-08, 2009-10 and 2011-12 and two of the National Football League (the I-League’s predecessor) in 2004-05 and 2006-07.
Helping them gain promotion was Knerktilang Buam and Owanijuh Pajuh. Both had played against Dempo in I-League 3 at the end of last year when they were with Rangdajied United FC and must’ve caught the eye of the club management.
Dempo finished the season with 27 points, 4 ahead of Sudeva Delhi, who would’ve secured immediate promotion back to the I-League had they won. The two clubs being relegated to I-League 3 are both from Maharashtra – Mumbai Kenkre FC and Maharashtra Oranje FC.
Shaiborlang scored two goals this season, which earned him two Player of the Match awards, against FC Bengaluru United and Sudeva Delhi. He made four starts and was used as a substitute an additional four times.
Knerktilang was in Dempo’s starting XI nine times and the midfielder also came off the bench four times, meaning that he missed just the one match all season. He was Player of the Match once.
Owanijuh, meanwhile, started in the first match but was only used as a substitute after that, on five occasions.
Rangdajied had qualified for I-League 3 last year by virtue of winning the Meghalaya State League 2023. Knerktilang was part of the RUFC set-up that won the title, while Owanijuh also took part in that tournament but for Niaw Wasa FC.
There was at least one other footballer from Meghalaya in I-League 2 this year that TSR knows of – Chesterpaul Lyngdoh, who played for FC Bengaluru United. He scored three times – a brace against Kenkre saw him named Player of the Match – and made five starts and four appearances as a substitute. His side, though, could only finish in fourth place out of the eight teams.
