Thank You Bhaichung Bhutia!

Indian footballl player Bhaichung Bhutia waves to the crowd after he played in a friendly football match against Bayern Munich in New Delhi on January 10, 2012. Bhutia played his farewell match at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. (Getty Images)

Sometime back while flipping through the channels, I happened to catch a sound bite of Bhaichung Bhutia which I thought was another promotion that he was attending, but a few seconds later the anchor confirmed that Bhaichung has decided to quit international football.

Initially I could not believe it, but as I looked back into his career for the last year or so, I could find some logic in his decision. Although, as his fan I had wanted him to play for eternity, but Bhaichung is also human and the nagging injuries got the better of him and we have to respect his decision. He has left a big void which will be difficult to fill.

Bhaichung Bhutia as we all know was born in a small hamlet called Tinkitam in South Sikkim, this place does not even have a decent playing field. After spending his initial years in Tinkitam, Bhaichung joined a boarding school called St. Xaviers in Pakyoung where his football career started taking shape and he was selected by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and admitted in Tashi Namgyal Academy, a premier Public School of Sikkim.

I too, am an alumni of this school, and it was here where I saw Bhaichung Bhutia for the first time way back in the year 1991 when I was in standard one. It’s been so many years now and my memory is vague, but I remember Bhaichung playing for the school team.

Then in 1992 Tashi Namgyal Academy played in the Subroto Cup and reached the quarter-finals and Bhaichung bagged the Player of the Tournament award which showed that he was destined for greatness. He was called up for the India Under-16 camp, but had to withdraw due to personal reasons. This was a setback, but Bhaichung came back stronger and gave a wonderful performance in the All India Governor’s Gold Cup in the same year and was spotted by Bhaskar Ganguly who took him to East Bengal, and the rest as they say is history.

He spent sixteen years with the Indian national team, winning the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup which gave India a chance to play in the 2011 Asian Cup.On the personal front, Bhaichung has 109 appearances for India scoring 43 goals. He also helped India win the Nehru Cup in 2007 and 2009, and has four SAAF Cup winner’s medal in his trophy cabinet.

Well I wonder what else to write as so much has already been written and said about this footballing legend of our times who has single-handedly given Indian football new direction and hope. Now Bhaichung plans to dedicate himself fully towards his own creation – the United Sikkim Football Club – and also keep playing for the team.

Bhaichung has truly been an inspiration to a generation of footballers and I am sure he will keep doing so in the future as well. Many are saying that this is an end, but I say this is a beginning of another chapter in the life of Bhaichung Bhutia and Indian football.