Baichung Bhutia
Soccer has not yet completely ripened in the Indian sub-continent. The lone-identity of the Indian football team, the skipper Bhutia made his way to the International Award ceremony, Laureus World Sports Awards held at Abu Dhabi. To this event, came the dynamic-profiled sports veterans, game-makers and other significant strikers. This would include the ‘striker vulture’ Sir Bobby Charlton, Boris Becker and Patrick Vieira.
The penultimate event at the award function was the ‘charity football match’ that went on for sixty minutes. Sharing shoulders with the young budding soccer players, the old hand played with the French stars and our Indian lone-wolf. Bhutia belonged to Bobby’s team and contributed a goal, striking hard into the nets; the team won 500,000 Euros for the Laureus Foundation.
Among the celebrities who were watching from the stands when Bhutia played in the match were Caroline Wozniacki and German legend Boris Becker. The match also had Italy’s World Cup winning captain Fabio Cannavaro making an appearance at the half time.
Recognized and respected together gives a wonderful pleasurable moment. It was the same experienced by Bhutia. He was elated and pumping with joy when Bobby enquired with regard to the Indian football team. The shaping up team, gracing for goals and glory, the Indian team is well in form. Bhutia answered the same to the veteran. Showing up at the Asian Cup the team went international, as it was next to the World Cup Football.
To the media he said, “We didn’t win any match but we can still be proud of our performance. We have to capitalize on the positives from what we managed at the Asian Cup”. The lesson is always you pick up something every time you fall down.
Bobby’s concern towards the growing strength of the Indian team made Bhutia’s hopes and determination stronger and focused. He made a comment that it was due to his persistent pain that the performance which was delivered was not fully fledged. Had the injury not been there, he would have made a difference certainly.
He reassured to bring laurels to the team with eminent victories.
Tags: Baichung Bhutia, Boris Becker, Football, Goal, India, Indian Football, Laureus Foundation, Laureus World Sports Awards, Patrick Vieira, Sir Bobby Charlton, Soccer
