Menlom Lepcha shakes hands with the players. Picture by Ashit Rai

Gangtok, July 10: This year?s senior division league football tournament, organised by the Sikkim Football Association (SFA), began at the Tashi Namgyal Academy grounds yesterday.

Though a heavy downpour dominated most of the game, it failed to dampen the mood of the supporters who had gathered to watch the inaugural match in which Arsenal beat Dzongri Club 5-2 to enter the quarter finals.

Although tied at two goals each at the end of the scheduled time of play, Arsenal scored three consecutive goals in the extra time to knock out Dzongri from the tournament. Arsenal, also a police club, will play Sikkim Police in the quarter finals.

The inaugural kick-off saw public health engineering and transport minister Menlom Lepcha chairing the function as the chief guest. State sports and youth affairs secretary Lobzang Bhutia, senior SFA officials, including president Tempo Bhutia, general secretary B. K. Roka and secretary Menla Ethenpa, were present at the inaugural match.

In today?s match Sports Authority India, Namchi, beat India Reserve Battalion 2-1. They will play against Sleepwell United Sikkim Sporting Club in the last quarter final on July 13.