
In India, where football (soccer) ranks second on the list of popular team sports, and all the fanfare is accorded to the cricketers, Bhaichung Bhutia is considered to be a torchbearer. He has taken Indian football to the international arena, where he has not only made a mark for himself, though on a much lower scale, he has also given the game of football a wider recognition & visibility thanks to his playing the game in all its seriousness and also sprinting leaps & bounds beyond the playing field, to become a well-known sports personality for the masses.
Bhaichung at a glance:
Age: 32 years
Height: 1.73 metres
National caps: 102
Goals: 42+
Position: Striker.
Club: East Bengal.
Debut, in Indian football scene: In 1993, as a sixteen yr old!
Sex appeal: Boyish looks, well endowed though.
Dreams of: Playing in 2011 Asia Cup.
Career best: Nehru Cup victory.
Career low: 6 month ban on skipping practice match
and stance on Tibet, skipped the prestigious Olympic torch relay
in protest(?).
Extra skills: Dancing; won reality-show championship on satellite television.
Weakness: Not enough international exposure, the Barcelona pre-season experience notwithstanding.
Loves: To swim, also to flirt (though is happily married, and is a doting dad).