Ryntih Sports and Cultural Club from Meghalaya have on the way to fulfil all criteria laid down by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) for direct entry to play in the prestigious I-League upcoming season.

Apart from other criteria that Ryntih have fulfilled so far, the AIFF has recently sought one clarification from the club on the issue of ownership.

Ryntih along with two other clubs – Sudeva of New Delhi and Sreenidhi of Visakhapatnam – had submitted bids for direct tickets to play in the I-League.

“The AIFF has set a deadline by August 5 that we (Ryntih) should fulfill one more criteria related to ownership. We have all papers and the same would be submitted to the AIFF within the deadline. We have high hopes that we will get through to the I-League,” Ryntih’s managing director Wallambok Kharpran told Northeast Now.

After scrutinising the submitted documents and presentations from the three respective bidders, the AIFF committee, in consultation with representatives of the bidding process consultants PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), will take a final decision after evaluating further the documents.

Ryntih, meaning ‘discipline’, registered officially with the Meghalaya government as a society in 1998, with a focus to open up avenues in football for budding talents of Mawlai Mawdatbaki locality.

Ryntih however started the foundation in football, much earlier than that.

Ryntih have been playing in the top football league of Meghalaya – Shillong Premier League – of the Shillong Sports Association, besides playing in the first division and second division football league for several years.

In the just-completed season, Ryntih missed by a few points to clinch the Shillong Premier League title, and came third.

Kharpran said that Ryntih have also fulfilled one criteria related to international tie-up.

“We have signed an MoU with the Transport United FC from Bhutan. It is a privilege for us to have Transport United FC as our international tie-up and this partnership will further boost football in our state,” Kharpran said.

Transport United FC is a professional football club from Thimphu, Bhutan, currently playing in the Bhutan Premier League, the top level of football in Bhutan.

As champions in the Bhutan National League in 2017, Transport United FC had also qualified and played in the AFC Cup in 2018.

Kharpran said at present, there are five ‘A’ License holders and one ‘A’ pro-License in Meghalaya, and among them, Alison Kharsyntiew, who is the ‘A’ License holder, is the head of Ryntih’s Youth Development.

“Ryntih have no problem in appointing our head coach if we get through to the I-League. We hope that our dream will come true,” Kharpran said.

Ryntih’s few achievements in football:

 Winner – 9th All India Chief Minister’s Gold Cup International Football Tournament, Sikkim in January 2020.

Runner’s Up – Bharat Ratna Dr. B.R Ambedkar Memorial Invitation North-

East Football Tournament, Assam in February 2020.

4th Position in 11th Bodousa International Cup, Assam, October 2019.

Winner – 5th Open to all Football Tournament, Wahïajer Meghalaya, July 2019.

Winner – Rani Motors Knock-out Football Tournament, Laitkseh, Meghalaya, March 2019.

Runner’s Up – U-15, Meghalaya Football Players Association, Shillong, 2015.