Bhaichung Bhutia was one of a kind, say his peers

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It doesn’t matter whether Bhaichung Bhutia is a media creation or not. He will, however, remain the face of Indian football for a long time to come.

The poster-boy of Indian football brought the curtain down on his decorated career after being bothered by a recurring calf-muscle injury for the last nine months.

Being the only player to score a century of appearances in national colours (43 goals from 109 matches), Bhutia is at peace with himself. “I gave my all on the field and enjoyed every moment of it. I would like to be remembered just as a footballer,” said the Sikkim striker, who went on to become the youngest Indian goal-scorer in 1995.

The Arjuna and Padma Shri awardee played a vital role in placing India on the world map. In another of India’s firsts, Bhutia signed a three-year deal with Bury FC in 1999 to become the first player to ply his trade in professional football.

Bhutia’s erstwhile striking partner and another rare breed belonging to great Indian strikers — IM Vijayan — had once famously said: “Baichung is God’s gift to Indian football.” The previous national coach Bob Houghton went as far as comparing the footballer to ‘God of cricket’ Sachin Tendulkar. Such was Bhutia’s impact on the beautiful game.

The former Indian captain’s glittering 16-year career, however, was not short of controversies. Once, he refused to carry the Olympic torch for the 2008 Beijing Games in support of the Tibetan movement. On another occasion, he preferred a TV reality show ahead of an I-League club for Mohun Bagan.

In addition, he had not always seen eye to eye with the AIFF. But former Indian coach Syed Nayeemuddin’s caustic remark on the Indian talisman being a traitor was reckless to say the least.

Bhutia’s partners in his heyday have hailed the contributions of the ‘little mighty Sikkimese Sniper’.

I.M. Vijayan: Baichung was a class apart. I am saddened to see him go. If not for injuries, he could have easily carried on for two or three more seasons. I was simply thrilled that he made me his favouritie striking partner. While playing together, I used to stay a touch behind to feed him because I knew Baichung had the ability to score from anywhere inside the box. I would like him to join the AIFF one day. Nayeemuddin’s comments were in bad taste.

Memories: We were like the ‘bade bhai-chotte bhai’ pair. He calls me his elder brother and does make a phone call every now and then.

Jo Paul Ancheri: We all know what a good player Baichung was but his behavior off the pitch was equally entertaining. His stint with Bury FC was a turning point. He became more professional after returning from England. Baichung has chosen the right time to call it quits, otherwise it would have been hard to come back from injury and reproduce his own game.

Memories: Baichung, Vijayan, Carlton Chapman and myself had a whale of a time. I remember an instance while playing for JCT in 1996. All four of us travelled on the roof of an overcrowded bus for about 30 kilometres to reach Phagwara from Jalandhar. It was a memorable one.

Syed Sabir Pasha: Whatever he has done for Indian football is unparalleled. He has been an inspiration to numerable youngsters. I am sure he will continue to be a role model after his retirement. He was naturally blessed with speed and acrobatic skills.

I got to play in the final of 1996 SAAF tournament in Chennai after Baichung was hurt in the semis. Naturally a winger, I was assigned the striker’s role alongside Vijayan. Baichung was a revelation in the tournament and I didn’t disappoint him by scoring in the final.

Baichung’s Bury stint helped him a lot. He became more professional. I have always known Baichung as a team man. I don’t understand why Nayeem has made such a comment.

Memories: Baichung is always full of beans. Every time we meet, he jokes: “Sabir, your wife wears a burqa, so be careful or you might end up pulling some other woman’s hand who is under the veil.”

Raman Vijayan: It is hard to digest the news of Baichung’s retirement but every player has to go some day. It’s an irreparable loss to Indian football. He was an instinctive player who dared to do anything inside the box. An inspirational leader, Baichung led from the front by scoring goals. One of his major strengths was to last the entire 90 minutes without a hitch and that was due to his intense training regime.

Memories: Just before the kick-off during an international club match against East Bengal and Dalian Shide FC in China, a perplexed young teammate asked Baichung: ‘Dada, everything on the score board is written in Chinese. How would we know which one is our team?’ Being a prankster that he was, Baichung replied: ‘Whichever side the numbers keep ticking is not our team.’

Those of us present near the circle burst out laughing much to the amusement of the Chinese players. We had a gala time while playing at Kolkata. Fans used to mob us outside theatres and malls, so we enjoyed the thrill of visiting public places without being noticed.