MUMBAI: Tashi Namgyal Academy, where Indian soccer captain Bhaichung Bhutia blossomed as a promising footballer two decades ago, will host the Indian Public Schools' Conference Football Tournament from September 1 at Gangtok. Radio Misty Sikkim 95 fm is the official Radio Partner of this event.

Established in 1939, the IPSC is a conglomeration of public schools in the country. The Indian Public School should not be confused with a large number of schools, which liberally adopt �Public School' with its name,... reads a media release of the IPSC. The government of India recognises only such institutions as Public Schools which are members of IPSC, it says. Currently, 78 public schools, including TNA, are members of the IPSC.

Bhaichung, as a student of Class X, had led TNA to win the IPSC soccer tournament on consecutive occasions in 1990 and 1991. In fact, he had been declared the best player of the tourney at Mayo College, Ajmer, in 1991.This year, 15 school teams from across the country are participating in the five-day tournament being organised by the TNA faculty and the TNA Alumni Association.

Apart from TNA, the other teams are — Birla Public School (Pilani), Donyi Polo Vidya Bhavan (Itanagar), Mann Public School (Delhi), Modern School (Delhi), Motilal Nehru School of Sports (Sonipat), Phoenix Public School (Karnataka), Raj Kumar College (Rajkot), Sainik School (Goalpara), The Daly College (Indore), Hyderabad Public School (Ramanthapur), Lawrence School (Himachal Pradesh), Scindia School (Gwalior) and Yadavindra Public School (Patiala).Mann Public School is the defending champion of the ISPC football tournament 2009 hosted by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Baroda, last year.
 
Says Nishant Mittal, Chief Executive Officer, Radio Misty we are proud to be associated with this prestigious tournament. We will create  a buzz around this event giving updates of players and matches.