Sikkim's Girls Netting Stars

Until a few years back these girls certainly did not think that someday they would become the source of inspiration for many other girls and that a journalist from a distant state would talk and write about them. Well, that’s the reality today and this all girls’ basketball team from Sikkim is making headlines for all the right reasons. Northeast Today speaks to Siddharth Yonzone- the man responsible for bringing out that ‘extra’ from these super talented girls- and finds out more about them and their journey so far.

- Bhargab Jyoti Sarmah

First Words

Once they were used to milking cows and gathering woods. But today, they are the shining armour in the world of basketball and they have not just made themselves proud, but also brought laurels to their state- Sikkim.

This all girls’ basketball team from Gangyap- a small village in Sikkim- had no idea what basketball was till they were introduced to the game by Siddharth Yonzone, principal of Ekalavya Model Residential School (EMRS),Gangyap. He not only introduced them to the sport, but instead infused the game to their veins and hence, today, the EMRS Gangyal Girls’ Basketball Team is a force to reckon with- not just in Sikkim but in the entire nation.

The Beginning

Initially, Siddharth used to coach boys of a different school but later he switched to the girls after seeing their poor standards. After joining EMRS Gangyap in 2007, he started working with the girls’ team. At first they had no court, no boards. But basketball impressed them so much that they set up a handmade court for practicing. They collected stone chips and packed down the surface with cement.

“The improvement and interest I saw in the girls inspired me to train them harder. Watching the NBA also helped in training them,” he says.