Baichung Bhutia

Infobox Football biography
playername = Baichung Bhutia


fullname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1976|12|15
cityofbirth = Tinkitam, Sikkim
countryofbirth = India
height = height|m=1.73
position = Striker
currentclub = Mohun Bagan
clubnumber = 15
years = 1993–1995
1995–1997
1997–1999
1999–2002
2002–2003
2003–2006
2006
2006–
clubs = East Bengal Club
JCT Mills
East Bengal Club
Bury
Mohun Bagan
East Bengal Club
→ Perak (loan)
Mohun Bagan
caps(goals) = 0? 0(?)
0? 0(?)
0? 0(?)
37 0(3)
0? 0(?)
0? 0(?)
0? 0(?)
0? 0(?)
nationalyears = 1997–
nationalteam = India
nationalcaps(goals) = 57 (40)
pcupdate = 8 July 2006
ntupdate = 11 October 2006

Baichung Bhutia ( _hi. भाईचुंग भुतिया) (born December 15, 1976 in Tinkitam, Sikkim, India) is an Indian football player. He is considered to be the torchbearer of Indian football in the international arena. He is currently the captain of Indian team and plays for Mohun Bagan Club.

Football career

He started his education is St. Xaviers School, Pakyong, East Sikkim and won a eventually Scholarship SAI to attend the Tashi Namgyal Academy in Gangtok. He went on to play for several school and local clubs in his home state of Sikkim. A stellar performance at the 1992 Subroto Cup brought him to the notice of the football establishment.

In 1993, at the age of sixteen, he left school to join the professional East Bengal Club in Calcutta. In 1995, he moved to JCT Mills, Phagwara, which went on to win the India National Football League that year. Bhutia was the top scorer in the league, and was chosen to play in the Nehru Cup. He was named "1996 Indian Player of the Year" and has won numerous other awards since then.

In 1997 he returned to East Bengal, and became team captain in the 1998-99 season. Baichung Bhutia has the unique distinction of scoring the only hatrick in the Derby Clashes between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, when he registered the same in East Bengal's 4-1 triumph in 1997 Federation Cup Semi Final. In 1999 he travelled overseas to play for Bury F.C. after unsuccessful trials with both Fulham F.C. [ [http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/ie/daily/19990723/isp23010.html Fulham no to Bhutia ] ] and Aston Villa F.C. [ [http://www.indianfootball.com/article/article018.html Bhutia plays well, but Aston Villa leaves him out ] ] with the move improving his conditioning and strategy. In 2002 he returned to India and played for the Mohun Bagan AC for a year before returning again to the East Bengal Club, helping them to win the Asean Cup (Association of South East Asian Nations) Club Championship. He signed up to play for Perak, the Malaysian championship club, from August to October 2003 and returning to East Bengal for the regular season. He continued to play for East Bengal till the end of 2005-2006 season. In 2006, he joined Mohun Bagan AC and has remained with them since then. He has recently renewed his contract for a further two years from 2008 to 2010 with the Mohun Bagan. He played in the "Goal 4 Africa" match held in the Allianz Arena, Munich on 12th July 2008 for the "Edu" team led by Clarence Seedorf and scored twice. [ [http://sify.com/sports/fullstory.php?id=14714767 Baichung sizzles in starry night:Sify.com] ] He scored twice in the AFC Challenge Cup against Turkmenistan. He was also selected as the most valuable player of the tournament.

Personal life

Bhutia comes from a Buddhist Bhutia background, and is by conviction an atheist. [ [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1636772.cms I AM: Baichung Bhutia] ] He married his longtime girlfriend Madhuri Tipnis on December 27, 2004 in his native village of Tinkitam in South Sikkim. [ [http://www.indianfootball.com/bhutia/news/bbn122004.html 'Congratulations to Baichung and Madhuri'] ]

He signed an endorsement deal with Adidas India Marketing Pvt. Ltd in November 2003. Currently he is endorsing Nike India. He has also appeared in the advertisvement by Nike, Highlighting The Chance to visit the Nou Camp stadium In Barcelona.

The Sikkimese government has built a stadium, the Baichung Stadium in Namchi, the district headquarters, in honor of Baichung. He is one of the most popular figures in the state and is considered as a role model to many Sikkimese as well to people from other states of India.

In 2008, Bhutia was solicited to run with the Olympic torch in India, but he refused to carry the torch to show support for the Tibetan independence movement. "I sympathise with the Tibetan cause. I'm against violence but I thought I should stand by the Tibetan people in their fight," Bhutia said. [cite news
url = http://ibnlive.com/news/bhutias-red-card-to-china-wont-carry-olympic-torch/62397-5.html
title = Bhutia's red card to China: Won't carry Olympic torch
publisher = IBN Live
accessdate = 2008-04-01
date = 1 April, 2008] He was the first sportsman to refuse carrying the Olympic torch. His actions have won him praise from the Tibetan community and its supporters in India [ [http://www.indianexpress.com/story/291371.html IndianExpress.com :: Bhutia gets little support ] ] .

See also

* Baichung Stadium

References

External links

*http://www.indianfootball.com - India's Premier Football Site
*http://www.indianfootball.com/bhutia - Baichung Bhutia @ IndianFootball.Com
*http://www.kolkatafootball.com - India's largest Football Site