Chencho Gyeltshen

Chencho Gyeltshen

Gyeltshen (center) lining up for Bhutan before a match against the Maldives in the 2013 SAFF Championship
Personal information
Full name Chencho Parop Gyeltshen
Date of birth (1996-05-10) 10 May 1996[1][2]
Place of birth Shapa, Paro District, Bhutan[3]
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Playing position Forward
Club information
Current team
Chittagong Abahani
Number 77
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2014 Yeedzin
2014 Druk United
2015 Thimphu 10 (17)
2015–2016 Buriram United 0 (0)
2015Surin City (loan) 11 (8)
2016Nonthaburi (loan) 5 (0)
2016 Satun United 7 (3)
2016 Thimphu 10 (15)
2016 Tertons 0 (0)
2016– Chittagong Abahani 3 (2)
National team
2011– Bhutan 23 (9)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 01:39, 28 November 2016 (UTC).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 15:07, 10 October 2016 (UTC)

Chencho Gyeltshen (born 10 May 1996) is a Bhutanese international footballer who currently plays for Chittagong Abahani of the Bangladesh Premier League,[4] and the Bhutanese national team as forward. With nine international goals, he is Bhutan's all-time leading scorer.[5]

He is affectionately nicknamed "CG7" and "The Ronaldo of Bhutan", because of his style of play.[6]

Early life and education

Chencho Gyeltshen hails from the Shapa Gewog of the Paro District. He started playing football in primary school, with his brother inspiring him to play. He cites Cristiano Ronaldo as the player who is his inspiration. He attended Kelki Higher Secondary School until class XII. He originally intended to become a martial artist[7] before deciding to stop his studies to become a professional football player.[3]

Club career

Yeedzin F.C.

From 2008[8] to 2014, he played for Yeedzin in the Bhutan National League.[9] In 2013, he won the league championship with the club.[10] With the club, he also finished runner-up in the 2013 King's Cup. The club was defeated by a score of 2–4 by Manang Marshyangdi of Nepal in the final despite Gyeltshen's two goal performance.[11]

Druk United F.C.

In 2014, he played for, and was captain of, Druk United F.C. of the Thimphu League.[12] He played for the team in the 2014 King's Cup and scored two goals against Indian club Mohun Bagan.[13]

Thimphu F.C.

In 2015, Chencho Gyeltshen played for Thimphu F.C. He made his league debut for the club against Thimphu City F.C. on 5 April.[14] He scored seventeen goals in ten matches in the Thimphu League and finished the season as the league's top scorer.[4][15]

Interest abroad

In 2014, he was offered to sign with Nepalese club Machhindra FC after his performance at the 2013 King's Cup and was reported to agree to join with the club but could not do so until the next year due to his studies.[2] In early 2015, Gyeltshen went on a month-long trial with Buriram United of the Thai Premier League. He played in friendlies against several Thai teams and scored the game-winning goal in the match against Thai Premier League club Sisaket F.C. after coming on as a second-half substitute. He scored five minutes after entering the match in the 80th minute. He was originally scheduled to return to Bhutan before the friendlies but was forced to stay a few days longer when his flight was cancelled.[7] While in Thailand, he was offered deals by Indian Super League clubs Delhi Dynamos and Pune City. However, no official offers were ever presented. The player said that if the offers had been made officially and had come a bit earlier he would have chosen to play in the ISL so that he could play alongside the stars that the league had been attracting in recent years.[16] With Buriram, Gyeltshen also won the Coke Cup Under-19 Championship in 2015.[17]

Surin City F.C.

In July 2015 Thai club Surin City, a reserve team of Buriram United, completed the signing of Gyeltshen from Thimphu United with the Bhutan international forward agreeing a 1.5 year contract with a monthly salary of Nu 100,000. The offer was presented to the player by Alexandre Gama, manager of the first team. With the contract, Gyeltshen became the first Bhutanese footballer to play professionally for an international club.[16] On 7 July 2015, it was revealed that the player had actually been signed by Buriram United along with two other players and was loaned immediately to Surin City.[18]

Gyeltshen made his league debut for Surin City on 5 July 2015 in a match against Kalasin. He was given the number 11 shirt.[19] By 24 September 2015, he had scored eight goals in eight league matches for Surin City,[20] including a hat-trick, after 33 rounds[21] of the 34 round season. Surin finished in 10th position in the Northeast Division, missing out on qualification for the playoffs.[22]

Nonthaburi F.C.

On 7 February 2016, it was announced that Gyeltshen would go on loan to Nonthaburi, also of the Thai Division 2.[17]

Satun United

Less than a month after it was announced that he would join Nonthaburi, it was announced that Gyeltshen had terminated his contract with Buriram United and signed a 2-year contract with Satun United F.C.[23] Following the season, it was announced that Gyeltshen was leaving the club.[24]

Return to Thimphu

Following his departure from Satun United, Gyeltshen returned to Bhutan and signed for former club Thimphu FC. He made his first appearance back for the club on 2 July in the team's opening match against Thimphu City FC.[25] He scored his first goal back for the club on the following matchday in a match against Ugyen Academy.[26] In his first season with the club, Gyeltshen was the top scorer in the Bhutan National League with 15 goals in 10 league matches.[27]

F.C. Tertons

Following the 2016 season, it was announced that Gyeltshen would be joining Bhutan National League Champions F.C. Tertons for their 2017 AFC Cup qualification campaign.[28] He started the club's first match of qualification, a 0–0 draw with Tatung F.C. of Taiwan.[29] In the team's next match, Gyeltshen scored two goals as Tertons defeated Sheikh Russel KC of Bangladesh 4–3 to win their group and advance to the qualifying playoff group alongside FC Dordoi Bishkek and Three Star Club.[30]

Chittagong Abahani

In October 2016 it was announced that Gyeltshen would join Chittagong Abahani of the Bangladesh Premier League for the second leg of the 2016 season on an initial 3-month contract.[31] He was spotted by the club during Bangladesh's two-leg series against Bhutan during 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification in which he scored a brace in the second match to help win the series 3–1 on aggregate.[32] With a reported monthly salary of at least US $4,000 or Nu 270,000 Gyeltshen became the highest paid athlete in the country.[33] Prior to signing with Chittagong, he also received a contract offer from Uttar Baridhara SC, another Bangladesh Premier League club. The offer was reportedly worth half of the value of his deal with Chittagong.[34] He made his debut for the club on 7 November 2016 in a league match against Mohammedan SC.[35] The match ended in a 1–0 victory.[36] Gyeltshen scored his first goal for the club on 23 November 2016 in his second appearance for the club,[37] a 2–0 victory over Uttar Baridhara SC.[38]

International career

Gyeltshen has represented Bhutan at the U12, U13, U15, U17, and U19 levels.[39] In 2007, he was selected to play for the U13 team after noticing the team practice while he walked home from school.[7]

Gyeltshen scored on his senior début for Bhutan on 19 March 2011 in a friendly against fellow Himalayan state Nepal.[9] On 12 March 2015, he and the rest of the Bhutan team recorded its first World Cup qualification win in history with a 1–0 victory over Sri Lanka. In the second leg of the series at Bhutan's national Changlimithang Stadium, Gyeltshen scored twice, with his first goal coming in the 5th minute[40] as he lifted the ball over Sri Lanka's onrushing goalie and into the far corner of the net. With the score tied 1–1 in second half stoppage time, Gyeltshen dribbled away from the goal box in the left corner of the penalty area, spun, and struck a shot that eluded two defenders and the goalkeeper as it slipped into the near corner. The victory and reaching the second round of qualification for the first time while being ranked the lowest team in the world was described by the team as "a historic moment to remember."[6]

International goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 19 March 2011 Pokhara Rangasala, Pokhara, Nepal    Nepal
1–2
1–2
Friendly
2. 7 December 2011 Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi, India  Afghanistan
1–4
1–8
2011 SAFF Championship
3. 4 September 2013 Dasarath Rangasala Stadium, Kathmandu, Nepal  Maldives
2–1
2–8
2013 SAFF Championship
4. 17 March 2015 Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu, Bhutan  Sri Lanka
1–0
2–1
2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
5.
2–1
6. 8 October 2015  Maldives
2–4
3–4
7. 29 March 2016 National Stadium, Malé, Maldives
1–0
2–4
8. 10 October 2016 Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu, Bhutan  Bangladesh
2–0
3–1
2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification
9.
3–1
Correct as of 10 October 2016[9]

International statistics

As of 10 October 2016[9]
Bhutan national team
YearAppsGoals
201142
201200
201331
201400
2015133
201633
Total 23 9

Honours

Club

Yeedzin
Druk United

Individual

*Source(s):[11][15][41]

References

  1. "Chencho Gyeltshen". EuroSport. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Yeedzin FC striker to sign for Nepal club". Kuensel Online. 15 Feb 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Bhutan's Two Heroes With Three Important Goals In Between Them". The Bhutanese. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  4. 1 2 Younten Tshedup (6 April 2015). "FC Terton thrash Dzongrig FC 7–1". Kuensel. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  5. "Record Holders for Selected Countries". RSSSF. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  6. 1 2 Chappell, Bill. "Bhutan, World's Lowest-Ranked Soccer Team, Advances In World Cup Qualifying". NPR. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 Tshedup, Younten. "From national team to national star". www.kuenselonline.com. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  8. "Chencho Gyeltshen – Legend of Clubs". www.soccer-talents.com. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "NFT Profile". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  10. "Soccerway profile". Soccerway.com. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  11. 1 2 "Manang Marshyangdi lift the King's Cup 2013". www.bbs.bt. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
  12. "Bhutan International and Druk United Skipper Chencho Gyeltshen: My Target is to Play Abroad; Nepal League Excited Me!". goalnepal.com. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
  13. "A Moment with Chencho Gyeltshen" (PDF). www.education.gov.bt. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
  14. "Thimphu Debut". Thimphu FC. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  15. 1 2 "Top Scorer". Facebook Fan Page. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  16. 1 2 Tshedup, Younten. "Striker Chencho Joins Second Division Thai Club". Kuenselonline.com. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  17. 1 2 "OFFICIAL: โรนัลโดภูฎานนำทัพ!นนทบุรีเปิดตัว4แข้งบุรีรัมย์". Goal. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  18. "United sign new players". Buriram United. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
  19. "1st Match". Player's Facebook. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  20. "8 in 8". Player's Facebook. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  21. "The goalscoring Soccer Regional League Division 2 East zone after 33 rounds." (in Thai). www.kondivision2.com. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  22. "Regional League tables 2015". thai-fussball.com. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  23. "Satun United". National Team Facebook. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
  24. "Move Away" (in Thai). Satun United. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
  25. "Return to Thimphu". Bhutan Football Federation. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
  26. "First Goal Back". Chencho Gyeltshen Facebook FAn Page. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
  27. "Top scorer of the tournament from BOB NATIONAL LEAGUE 2016.". Chencho Gyeltshen Facebook. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  28. "FC Tertons". Chencho Gyeltshen. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  29. "Tertons vs. Tatung". The AFC. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  30. "2017 AFC CUP PLAY-OFF QUALIFIERS: TERTONS FC, THREE STAR CLUB GO THROUGH". The AFC. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  31. Tshedup, Younten. "Bangladeshi club signs Chencho Gyeltshen". Kuensel. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  32. "Chencho to join Ctg Abahani". The Daily Star. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  33. Penjor, Sonam. "Chencho Gyeltshen to play for a Bangladesh club". bbs.bt. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  34. "Ctg Abahani bring in Chencho". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  35. "Chittagong Debut". Facebook. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  36. "MOHAMMEDAN DHAKA VS. ABAHANI CHITTAGONG". Soccerway. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  37. "First Goal". Facebook. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  38. "BARIDHARA VS. ABAHANI CHITTAGONG". Soccerway. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  39. "Buriram United signed three new players, quickly sent to Surin City's second leg." (in Thai). Buriram United. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  40. "Bhutan 2- Sri Lanka 1". FIFA. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  41. "Bhutan: List of Champions". RSSSF. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
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