Baichung Bhutia was born on December 15, 1976 in Tinkitam, Sikkim, India. He is an Indian football player. He is considered to be the torchbearer of Indian football in the international arena. Baichung Bhutia is probably the most famous and popular Football player India has ever produced. Bhutia has contributed a lot to make the game popular among the young crowds of the nation even in the places where the game of Football has not been much popular.
Primarily hailing from the North-Eastern state of Sikkim, he got his basic education at St. Xavier’s School, Pakyong, East Sikkim. Since the very beginning he showed his serious interested towards the game of Football, and encouragement from his uncle Karma Bhutia helped him move forward towards his destiny. Due to his extra-ordinary capabilities in the game of Football, Bhutia got a scholarship from Tashi Namgyal Academy, a well known school in Gangtok at the age of 9.
Bhutia caught the attention of everybody for the first time at the Subroto Cup 1992 held at Delhi, wherein he was bestowed upon the Best Player award. Bhaskar Ganguly, the former goalkeeper of the Indian Football team was especially impressed by Baichung’s talent and supported him to move ahead to professional Football. At the age of 16, Bhutia joined East Bengal, a reputed Football club from Calcutta (now Kolkata), and further went ahead to join a yet another well known Football club, JCT Mills, Phagwara in the year 1995. The same year, JCT was able to win the National Football League after Bhutia joined them, and scored the maximum number of goals in the League for JCT. Baichung was bestowed upon the “Indian Player of the Year 1996” award.
Further, he came back to East Bengal in the year 1997 and led the team in the year 1998-99. In the Semi Final match of the Federation Cup Football 1997 played between between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, Baichung scored a hatrick and led East Bengal win the match by 4-1. Bhutia has been the only Football player ever to score a hatrick in a Football match between the most famous arch rivals of the Indian Football – East Bengal and Mohun Bagan. The same year, he earned the recognition of being the Highest Scorer ever in any match of the National Football League. In a match against Mahindra United played on the 9th of December 1997, he scored 5 goals alone for his team JCT Mills.
In the year 1999, Bhutia began playing for an English Football club named Bury F.C., and played over there till the year 2002. Upon his return to India in the year 2002, he played for Mohun Bagan AC for 1 year and then again moved back to his initial club, East Bengal and played for them until he reverted back to Mohun Bagan in the year 2006. In the meantime, he also played for Perak, a Malaysian Football club.
Off the field, Bhutia is known for winning the reality television programme Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, which caused much controversy with his then-club Mohun Bagan, and for being the first Indian athlete to boycott the Olympic torch relay in support of the Tibetan independence movement. Bhutia, who has a football stadium named after him in honour of his contribution to Indian football (first player to have such honour while he is still playing), has also won many awards, such as the Arjuna Award and the Padma Shri.
In October 2010, he founded Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools in Delhi in partnership with football by Carlos Queiroz and Nike. In August 2011, Bhutia announced his retirement from international football. His farewell match was with the India national team on 10 January 2012 against Bayern Munich at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi.
“ Its been a phenomenal contribution by him for Indian football which is struggling to carve out the popularity among other international games in India. Wishing him all the best for his future and with a hope he will contribute his best to the game off the field.”
