For his fans, he was no less than Maradona and Pele, who symbolized the hopes and aspiration of the whole nation as far as football was concerned. His personality attracted all and his humbleness left people awestruck. His smile was infectious and when he ran with the Tri-colour, the crowd used to go berserk in joy and admiration.
Bhaichung Bhutia for sure was a treat to watch on the field. A perfect symphony of skill, class and consistency, Bhutia enriched the game with his impeccable ways.
But then all good things come to an end and so has the champion’s career. Bhutia has called it a day, leaving a big void to fill in Indian football.
TOUGH DECISION
Bhaichung BhutiaIn his own words, it was an extremely hard decision to quit the game, but his persistent injuries made him think otherwise and as time passed by, he took control of his emotions. “When I actually thought of leaving football, it was quite difficult for me. But as time went by, I got much determined. One day everything has to end. You cannot go on playing for the whole lifetime. And anyways I am not out of the football completely and would still be very much involved with it through my club United Sikkim F.C and my football academy in Delhi,” said the Sikkim Sniper, as he is known in football circle.
“I had fantastic 16 years of football. I have enjoyed every moment of my career and feel very lucky to have been able to play for the national side and also contribute for the betterment of the game,” added the former captain.
Bhaichung wanted Asia Cup to be last tournament but he could not play his part in the tournament due to injury. Therefore he decided to play on and wait for the opportune time to hang his boots. “I thought it was not the way to bring an end to a career. I thought of carrying on. I tried to make comebacks but could not do due to my recurring knee injury. I was dropped from the pre-World Cup Qualifiers due to my injury. Then again I was picked up by for the side that would play in UK but could not due to my injury. So a certain level of frustration built in and I thought it is the time,” said an emotional Bhaichung, who first shot to limelight in 1992 Subroto Cup.
EARLY CAREER
Playing in the Subroto Cup in Delhi, the Sikkimese player won the “best player of the tournament” award and was soon noticed by football authorities. Bhaichung’s talent was spotted by Bhaskar Ganguly, a former Indian Goalkeeper, and he joined East Bengal in 1993. He caught the imagination of football fans with a spectacular back volley in the semi-finals of the Durand Cup in 1993, which took the team into finals and there was no looking back thereafter.
Bhaichung made rapid strides and in 1994 top scored in the Kolkata first division with a healthy return of 14 goals which also won him the best player award. In 1995, Bhaichung was to JCT and with them he won the first ever National Football League in 1996-97. He also went on to win the ‘Golden Boot’ with 14 goals in 20 appearances. He also won the Durand Cup, Federation Cup and the IFA Shield with JCT, which soon earned him the India cap against Uzbekistan in the 1995 Nehru Gold Cup. He did not look back thereafter and established as the most decorated legacy in the history of Indian Football.
UNFULFILLED DESIRE
However, the champion will retire with an unfulfilled desire. “As an Indian footballer, I always wanted to play in the Asia Cup and the World Cup. The former happened but the World Cup did not happen. That is the only regret that I have. But I guess that is alright, because one does not always get what he desires for,” said Bhaichung.
The ace striker, who is leaving the international arena, admits that his retirement would not obstruct his commitment to Indian Football. “I would always remain committed to Indian football. I would be actively involved with United Sikkim and my football academy. I would continuously strive for the development of Indian Football,” added the talismanic footballer.
GREAT FUTURE
Bhaichung is very positive and is very sure that there would be bigger names than him the Indian football arena. “I see a lot of talents and there definitely would be players who would be bigger than me. Indian football has set its right foot forward. I can see a great future for Indian Football,” added the humble champion.
The 34-year-old striker, who played with two generation of footballers, however finds the new generation to be more disciplined and professional. He feels that their commitment is commendable and would do wonders for Indian football in future.
NO FAVOURITES & NO GRIEVANCES
In 16 years of his career he has played with a number of coaches and adapted to them pretty well. But he ruled out the idea of having any favourites. “It is difficult to pick an individual. Under Bob Houghton, we won three tournaments; under Stephen Constantine we won the LG Cup. I can also never forget Rustam Akramov’s decision to move me upfront as a striker from the midfield. Also under Sukhwinder Singh, we had a wonderful run where we missed out qualification to the final round of the World Cup by a whisker. So I have had memorable moments under each and every coach I have played under,” added Bhaichung.
Having seen a lot of ups and down in his career, the most famous being his fallout with coach Syed Nayeemuddin, which had nearly forced him on the verge of retirement. But he reconsidered his decision on the request of Bob Houghton and then AIFF president Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi. But he does not hold any grudge against anyone and treats it as a part of life.
Bhaichung has scored 43 international goals for India, most by any Indian ever. He is only one of the few of Indians who has made 100 appearances for India. Players like him come once in many generations and his instinctive ability to grasp, adjust and deliver is what makes him such an outstanding footballer. Cool and restrained on the field, Bhaichung Bhutia is a synergy of physical and mental strength. The sport will probably never see his like again.
Salute the maestro for his grime, guts and glory!
By Samikshan Dutta Choudhury
Indian Sports News
