Baichung Bhutia is probably the most famous and popular football player in India. He played in the Indian football team as a striker. Bhutia is he the first Indian footballer who played professional football in Europe.
He is also known as a founder of Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools in Delhi. Baichung has a football stadium named after him in honour of his contribution to Indian football.
Background
Baichung Bhutia was born on 15 December 1976 in a family of farmers. His parents were not interested in Baichung's enthusiasm for sports. However his uncle, Karma Bhutia, helped him to start education in St. Xaviers School, Pakyong, East Sikkim. And soon, due to his extra-ordinary capabilities in football, he won a scholarship from SAI to attend the Tashi Namgyal Academy in Gangtok.
Career
In 1993 Bhaichung joined the professional East Bengal F.C in Calcutta and in 1995 he went ahead to join another football club JCT Mills, Phagwara. Soon JCT won National Football League where Baichung scored the maximum number of goals for JCT. However in 1997 he came back to East Bengal and led the team during 1998-1999 years.
In the Semi Final match of the Federation Cup Football played between between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, Baichung scored a hatrick and owing to this East Bengal won the match by 4-1. Bhutia has been the only Football player ever to score a hatrick in a Football match between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan. He also earned the recognition of being the Highest Scorer ever in any match of the National Football League.
In 1999 he joined an English Football club for which he played till the year 2002. Then he returned to India and played for Mohun Bagan for a year. But after that year Bhaichung moved back to East Bengal and played for them till 2006 year. That year he reverted back to Mohun Bagan. Since that time Bhaichung had problems with Mohun Bagan as he wanted to quit that club and return to East Bengal. This case was solved only after the intervention of football's governing body FIFA. As a result Bhutia joined United Sikkim in 2011. In 2012 he was named the interim manager of United Sikkim.