Golaghat Rhino F.C.

Golaghat Rhino Football Club is a professional football club based in Golaghat, Assam, that competes in the Assam State Premier League, the top flight of the state football. The club was founded in 2014 in its current stadium, GDSA Stadium at General Field, Golaghat.

History

In December 2013, the idea of raising a professionally managed football club was conceived by eight new young entrepreneurs of Golaghat. Sanjib Handique, Arun Goswami, Sanvit Sarma, Tapan Paul, Manoj Jain, Mrinal Saikia, Santanu Kalita and Paban Saikia, the founding members of the Golaghat Rhino F.C. with support from the Golaghat District Sports' Association (GDSA), envisioned to set up a club to promote football in the region and to provide the opportunity for young players to be part of a professional team.

2014–present

Soon after a few months of its inception, the football club won the Assam Club Championship title held at Gossaigaon. The winning title positioned the team as one of the best football teams to exist in the state as part of newly formed club.

In October 2014, Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB) sports defeated Rhino F.C. by 1–0 goals in the final match of the 13th Jwhwlao Swmbla Basumatary (JSB) Gold Cup Trophy defeating at the Bangaldoba ground in Chirang district.

Golaghat Rhino F.C. played the first state football premier league in 2015. Consisting of 12 teams, the league was organised by the Assam Football Association, in association with the Celebrity Management Group. Although Rhino F.C. performed well during the tournament, Karbi Anglong Morning Star F.C. was the winner.

The club has also purchased a plot of land in its name to build infrastructure facilities, including a hostel for its players and aspiring footballers in the region. The Rhino F.C. has a total of 22 under–19 players from various districts of the state of Assam, including players from the Indian states of Odisha, Manipur, besides direct international hires from places like Nigeria.

Crest and colours

The club crest is derived from the Assam's state animal, the Indian rhinoceros|one–horned rhinoceros: Rhinoceros unicornis, native to the Kaziranga National Park in the Golaghat region.