The Sikkim team at the stadium in Gangtok on Thursday. Picture by Prabin Khaling

Gangtok, May 21: Sikkim football captain Nirmal Chettri has high hopes that his boys will perform well in the Santosh Trophy beginning in Chennai on Sunday.

“Expectations are on the higher side. Our team is probably the youngest side in the tournament and I am confident that all players will do well,” Chettri, who plays for East Bengal, said after a practice session at the Paljor Stadium here today.

The team leaves for Chennai tomorrow.

The average age of the players is 20. Twenty players from a pool of 30 probables were selected after a week-long camp at the Paljor Stadium. The team includes Sanju Pradhan of East Bengal and Bikash Jairu who plays for the ONGC.

“If Sanju and Bikash click, our team will do very well,” the captain said. “The first match against Uttarakhand on May 27 is crucial for us as the second match will be against a strong Manipur side. If we win the first match, we can go all out against Manipur and qualify for the pre-quarters.”

Sikkim’s best performance in the Santosh Trophy so far was a quarterfinal berth. Coach Thupden Rapyal said the team’s fate in the tournament would be decided on how the players do in each match.

Newly appointed sports minister N.K. Pradhan urged the side to play in a disciplined manner. “You are all ambassadors for the state,” he said. Sikkim Football Association president Tempo Bhutia said incentives for the players would be announced once the team reaches quarterfinal.