Shillong, Mar 9: The Shillong Sports Association has announced its calendar for the 2025 season, beginning with the U-20 Fourth Division in June, while the marquee Shillong Premier League will start in July.
Also slotted into the calendar is a new Champions League. The Women’s League and U-16 and U-14 boys’ tournaments will also be back this year.
Before all that, clubs affiliated with the SSA need to renew their affiliation for 2025. The form can be collected from the SSA office from 10th to 15th March on payment of Rs 100. The filled-up form should then be submitted along with affiliation fee of Rs 1,000 before 31st March on working days between 2PM and 5PM.
The inter-club transfer window will open in April. Transfer forms will be sold in the first week of April and the signing of transferred players will take place between 21st and 30th April.
Entries will then be invited for the U-20 Fourth Division and Third Division in the first week of May, with the Fourth Division to begin on 2nd June and the Third Division on 16th June.
Entries will be open for the Second Division in the first week of June, with the start date scheduled for 7th July. Entries will be open for the First Division in the third week of August, with the league to begin on 15th September.
The SPL, which has taken longer this season (and is not quite done even now), will begin before the First Division, with entries invited during the second week of June and start date slated for 14th July. The SPL 2024 began in October but has still to conclude, with delays caused by the Meghalaya State League and the state’s participation in the Santosh Trophy.
The SSA Women’s League will take place at the tail-end of the year (possibly November-December), while U-14 and U-16 tournaments were also pencilled in for this year around the same time.
The 2024 season had none of the usual U-12, U-14 or U-16 tournaments, with only the latter two now included for 2025.
The calendar also features mention of a Champions League. The inaugural edition had meant to be in 2024 but couldn’t be included given the extra run time of the SPL. According to the original plan, this event was to include the 10 champions and runners-up from the men’s events in the SSA football pyramid divided into two groups, with knockouts to follow the round robin stage.
(TSR file photo of the Fourth Division 2024)
