Pic: Prem Singh

I was born in Tinkitam, a small town in the south of Sikkim. I had a pretty regular childhood and my elder brother, who played football at the local level, was my inspiration. I started playing football when I was nine years old and simply loved the game. I used to study at St Xavier’s School, Pakyong, and would practice in school.

Eventually, I made it to the under-12 Sikkim football team. In 1986, while I was on this team, I won a football scholarship from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) for my performance in a tournament in Delhi. The scholarship gave me a chance to study at the Tashi Namgyal Academy, a boarding school in Gangtok. This was a major step forward.

The biggest turning point in my life perhaps was deciding not to appear for the Class X ICSE board examinations and, instead, attending the National Under-16 Football Selection Camp. It was a huge decision for me but I went ahead with it despite my doubts — and was selected for the team. This was in 1992 and I was only 14 years old then.

This proved to be a major stepping stone because the very next year the East Bengal Club signed me up on the team. This meant I had to move to Calcutta. Though initially my parents were not too happy with my decision, they came around gradually. In Calcutta I played my first professional match in 1993 between East Bengal Club and Mohun Bagan. We won the match, with me scoring three goals. I still cherish this as my most memorable match.

Another significant turning point was getting selected in the Indian national football team in 1995. Representing the country was a matter of great pride and I played in the Nehru Cup — my first international match — in Calcutta. I was only 19 and I went on to become the youngest Indian goal scorer in this match. The goal I scored was for India against Uzbekistan. It was a great high to be part of that moment.

Now, I am busy with United Sikkim, the football club that I launched this year. We’ve got players from all over the country and I also play for the club. It’s a dream that’s being realised and I hope to see United Sikkim amongst India’s top football clubs in the future.

(As told to Lubna Salim)