Bhutia will be missed

[1]

He has played alongside the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Kaka, Clarence Seedorf and Steven Gerrard. He has played in leagues in England, Malaysia and India. I.M. Vijayan once called him “God’s gift to Indian football” and he has the billion-plus nation on the map. Sadly, God’s gift is past his shelf life.

On 10th January 2012, Baichung Bhutia is going to hang up his boots, but he is going to do it in style with a match against Bavarian giants, Bayern Munich. He was India’s first football superstar. Sure Shabbir Ali, the highest capped player for the Indian national team (110) and Pradip Banerjee, the highest goalscorer for the ‘Bhangra Boys’ (65) were huge for Indian football in their own respect, but Baichung Bhutia changed the face of the game. Signed by giants East Bengal when he was only 16, Bhutia earned the name “Sikkimese Sniper” over the next six years in Indian football, because much like a sniper, his accuracy killed his opponents.

He went on to become the first Indian player to play professionally in Europe when he famously signed for FC Bury in 1999. Injuries meant his stay abroad was not as successful as he would have liked, but the highlight of his three-year stay was a game against Manchester United where his trickery and reading of the game did not go unnoticed.

Perak FA, reigning champions of the Malaysian Super League at the time, signed him on loan and he repayed them by scoring 4 goals in 8 appearances. He rejected the advances of Steve Darby managed Home United to return to India and play for Mohun Bagan. It was at this point in his career though, that Bhutia’s club career went on a downward spiral, but his International career took an opposite trajectory, when India qualified for the AFC Cup 2011 by winning the AFC Challengers Cup in New Delhi, 2008. Even though the Indian team bowed out of the AFC Cup in Doha losing 3/3 games, Bhutia got the world to stand up and take notice of his importance to Indian football in the Asia’s premier tournament.

He was invited by Zinedine Zidane to play in a charity match in 2010. Prior to that, he had played under the invitation of Nelson Mandela in a charity match alongside the Michaels — Ballack and Schumacher. Recently, he has tied up with Carlos Quieroz and opened his own football academy in New Delhi. And his love affair with the capital city continues when he comes out in the famous blue for the last time on January 10 at the Nehru Stadium.

This time he will face superstars like Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben and Bastian Schweinsteiger. Finally, the torch-bearer of Indian football will pass the torch on, safe in the knowledge that Jeje Lalpekhlua and Sunil Chettri are there to hold it. We will miss you Sniper.