Bhaichung Bhutia was in the running to become the head of the All India Football Federation. But he did not get that opportunity after losing the vote against Kalyan Chaube. However, he became a member of the executive committee. Bhaichung is unhappy with the current state of the federation.
If this continues, the country’s former captain does not see any improvement in Indian football even in the next 1,000 years. In an interview with the ‘Indian Express’, Bhaichung said, ‘Vision 2047 is in the books. Kalyan Chaubey has kept it in the books. If this continues, we will have to wait not until 2047, but until 3047. The All India Football Federation will not just talk, it will have to show it in action.’
Bhaichung is worried about the current state of Indian football. He said, ‘I am shocked. I am in the executive committee of the All India Football Federation. But when I hear the plans of the people here, I am really scared. We need people who are responsible for their work. We need such people to take the country’s football forward.’
‘We have to work at the grassroots level. I know how it works now. When pressure builds, states work at the grassroots level. Work is done with U-13, U-15 footballers. But that is only for 15 to 20 days.’
Bhaichung feels that more improvement needs to be done at the domestic level. He says, ‘People say that 2,500 footballers have been worked on from my state, 1,000 footballers have been worked on. But that is too much, for 20-25 days. What do these kids do throughout the year? Where do they go? They do nothing. They do nothing for 11 months. But they pat each other on the back for working with these 2,500 or 1,000 footballers. Is it possible for children to improve in this way? Is this grassroots football?’
Bhaichung advises Indian footballers to play in foreign clubs. He himself once played football abroad. Bhaichung said, “You have to go and play outside India. Footballers are used to playing here. They are getting better money than in other countries. But our country’s footballers have to go abroad. Don’t think about money. You have to go there and learn. You have to go to a country that is ahead of India. Go there and learn and come back. Young people especially have to try this.”
