Bhaichung Bhutia
![Card image cap](https://thebiodiary.com/uploads/bio/bhaichung_bhutia-2.jpg)
Bhaichung Bhutia
(Age 46 Yr. )
Personal Life
Religion | Atheist |
Nationality | Indian |
Profession | Footballer |
Place | Tinkitam,  Sikkim, India |
Physical Appearance
Height | 5 feet 8 inches |
Weight | 67 kg (approx.) |
Body Measurements | Chest - 42, Waist - 32, Biceps - 15 |
Eye Color | Black |
Hair Color | Black |
Family Status
Parents | Father - Dorji Dorma |
Marital Status | Divorced |
Spouse | Madhuri Tipnis (2004-2015) Hotel Professional |
Childern/Kids | Son - Ugen Kalzang Bhutia |
Siblings | Brothers - Bom Bom Bhutia, Chewang Bhutia |
Index
1. Early Life |
2. Club Career |
3. International Career |
4. Records |
5. Personal Life |
6. International Goals |
7. Awards and Achievements |
8. Other careers |
Bhaichung Bhutia is an Indian former professional footballer who played as a forward for the India national team and is best known for his time at clubs like Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. Bhutia is considered the torchbearer of Indian football in the international arena and is nicknamed the “Sikkimese Sniper” because of his shooting skills in football. He has also captained the national side and currently plays the role of manager at the Sikkim state football club.
Early Life
Bhutia was born on 15 December 1976 in Tinkitam, Sikkim. Both of his parents were farmers in Sikkim and were originally not keen on Bhutia's interest in sports. His father died in his childhood but after encouragement from his uncle, Karma Bhutia, he started his education at St. Xaviers School, Pakyong, East Sikkim.
He won a football scholarship from SAI to attend the Tashi Namgyal Academy in Gangtok at the age of nine. He went on to play for several schools and local clubs in his home state of Sikkim, including the Gangtok-based Boys Club. His impressive performances at the 1992 Subroto Cup brought him to the notice of the football establishment.
His talent was spotted by former Indian goalkeeper Bhaskar Ganguly and helped Bhutia move to West Bengal where he would play most of his career.
Club Career
Bhaichung Bhutia made his club professional debut in 1993 for Calcutta-based East Bengal where he would make nine appearances, scoring 4 goals in the league. His debut for the club would mark the beginning of a career that mostly wandered from Mohun Bagan and back to East Bengal.
He then moved to East Bengal, one of the most successful clubs in Indian football history. He played for East Bengal for several seasons and helped the team win several trophies, including the National Football League, the Federation Cup, and the ASEAN Club Championship.
In 1999, Bhutia became the first ever Indian player to sign a professional contract in Europe when he signed for Manchester-based side Bury, where he would spend 3 seasons. He made 37 appearances for them in the league and managed to score only 3 goals. After the failure in Europe, Bhutia decided it was best for him to return to India, once again to East Bengal.
In Malaysia, Bhutia played for Perak FA on loan from Mohun Bagan, and then played for Selangor MK Land. He scored a total of 5 goals in 13 appearances for both sides. In his split career at East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, Bhutia scored 52 goals from 97 games and 25 goals from 56 games respectively.
In 2012, Bhutia signed for United Sikkim, where he would make only 3 appearances owing to injuries. He was made interim manager of the team in the same year, which marked Bhutia’s managerial debut. Bhutia then played his last club match at United Sikkim in 2015, which marked the end of his glorious career.
In his club career, he has scored over 100 league goals in 226 appearances.
International Career
Bhutia made his debut for the Indian national team in 1995 against Thailand. He soon became a regular member of the team and was named captain in 1999. He led the team to several victories and was instrumental in India's triumphs in the South Asian Football Federation Cup in 1997 and 2005.
One of Bhutia's most memorable moments for the Indian national team came in 2008 when he scored the winning goal against Myanmar in the AFC Challenge Cup final. The victory secured India's place in the 2011 Asian Cup for the first time in 27 years.
Bhutia also represented India in the 2002 Asian Games and the 2010 Asian Cup. He retired from international football in 2011, having played in 104 matches and scored 42 goals.
Records
In 1999, Bhutia became the first Indian footballer to play abroad when he joined Bury FC, a club in the English Football League. Bhutia is also the only Indian footballer to have played in the English professional leagues.
Bhutia holds the record for the most number of goals scored in the National Football League (now known as the I-League), with 89 goals.
In the 2004 Athens Olympics, Bhutia became the first Indian footballer to score a goal in the Olympics.
Personal Life
In addition to his football career, Bhutia is also involved in various philanthropic activities. He is the founder of the Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools, which aims to promote football in India and provide opportunities for young players to develop their skills. Bhutia has also been associated with various charitable organizations and has been actively involved in promoting sports and education in underprivileged communities. He currently manages the Sikkim state football team.
International Goals
No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 29 March 1995 | Sugathadasa Stadium, Colombo | ![]() | 1–0 | 2–2 | 1995 SAFF Championship |
2 | 2–0 | |||||
3 | 6 March 1996 | National Stadium, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lampur | ![]() | 2–5 | 2–5 | 1996 Asian Cup qualifier |
4 | 11 April 1997 | Nehru Stadium, Cochin | ![]() | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1997 Nehru Cup |
5 | 7 September 1997 | Dasarath Rangasala Stadium, Kathmandu | ![]() | 3–0 | 3–0 | 1997 SAFF Championship |
6 | 9 September 1997 | Dasarath Rangasala Stadium, Kathmandu | ![]() | 1–0 | 2–2 | 1997 SAFF Championship |
7 | 13 September 1997 | Dasarath Rangasala Stadium, Kathmandu | ![]() | 2–0 | 5–1 | 1997 SAFF Championship |
8 | 26 April 1999 | Fatorda Stadium, Margao | ![]() | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1999 SAFF Championship |
9 | 2–0 | |||||
10 | 29 April 1999 | Fatorda Stadium, Margao | ![]() | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1999 SAFF Championship |
11 | 1 May 1999 | Fatorda Stadium, Margao | ![]() | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1999 SAFF Championship |
12 | 15 April 2001 | Bangalore Stadium, Bangalore | ![]() | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2002 World Cup qualifier |
13 | 20 May 2001 | Bangalore Stadium, Bangalore | ![]() | 3–0 | 5–0 | 2002 World Cup qualifier |
14 | 10 December 2005 | Peoples Football Stadium, Karachi | ![]() | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2005 SAFF Championship |
15 | 17 December 2005 | Jinnah Sports Stadium, Islamabad | ![]() | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2005 SAFF Championship |
16 | 18 February 2006 | Hong Kong Stadium, Wan Chai | ![]() | 2–2 | 2–2 | Friendly |
17 | 17 August 2007 | Ambedkar Stadium, New Delhi | ![]() | 2–0 | 6–0 | 2007 Nehru Cup |
18 | 20 August 2007 | Ambedkar Stadium, New Delhi | ![]() | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2007 Nehru Cup |
19 | 26 August 2007 | Ambedkar Stadium, New Delhi | ![]() | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2007 Nehru Cup |
20 | 3 June 2008 | Rasmee Dhandu Stadium, Malé | ![]() | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2008 SAFF Championship |
21 | 22 July 2008 | Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Hyderabad | ![]() | 1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
22 | 3 August 2008 | Gachibowli Athletic Stadium, Hyderabad | ![]() | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2008 AFC Challenge Cup |
23 | 2–0 | |||||
24 | 13 August 2008 | Ambedkar Stadium, New Delhi | ![]() | 2–0 | 4–1 | 2008 AFC Challenge Cup |
25 | 14 January 2009 | Hong Kong Stadium, Wan Chai | ![]() | 1–1 | 1–2 | Friendly |
26 | 23 August 2009 | Ambedkar Stadium, New Delhi | ![]() | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2009 Nehru Cup |
27 | 26 August 2009 | Ambedkar Stadium, New Delhi | ![]() | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2009 Nehru Cup |
Awards and Achievements
East Bengal | ASEAN Club Championship: 2003 |
National Football League: 2003–04 | |
Federation Cup: 2009–10, 2010 | |
Indian Super Cup: 2011 | |
Calcutta Football League: 1993, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2011 | |
IFA Shield: 1994, 1995, 1997 | |
Wai Wai Cup: 1993 | |
San Miguel International Cup: 2004 | |
Mohun Bagan | Calcutta Football League: 2007, 2008, 2009 |
IFA Shield: 2003 | |
Federation Cup: 2006, 2008 | |
Bengal | Santosh Trophy: 1995, 1998–99 |
India | AFC Challenge Cup: 2008 |
SAFF Championship: 1997, 1999, 2005 | |
Nehru Cup: 2007, 2009 | |
South Asian Games Gold medal: 1995 | |
India U23 | LG Cup: 2002 |
Individual | AIFF Player of the Year: 1995, 2008 |
Arjuna Award: 1998 | |
Padma Shri: 2008 | |
AFC Challenge Cup Most Valuable Player: 2008 | |
Banga Bhushan: 2014 | |
Asian Football Hall of Fame: 2014 | |
IFFHS 48 Football Legend Players: 2016 |
Other careers
Entertainment
Bhutia with then Vice Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal K. K. Nohwar at the release of souvenir of 52nd edition of the Subroto Cup Football Tournament in November 25, 2011.
Jhalak Dikhlaa Jaa
In 2009, partnering with choreographer Sonia Jaffer,[95] he won the third season of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, the Indian version of the international series Dancing with the Stars. Bhutia earned Rs. 4 million for winning the competition, beating Karan Singh Grover and Gauahar Khan in the final. Bhutia donated half of the prize money to charity and the other half was shared with his choreographer; he also said some money would go towards areas hit by Cyclone Aila. It was reported that an "SMS Voting Frenzy" allowed him to win after many organisations in Sikkim conducted mass voting events (this involved participants buying mobile cash cards so they could vote via SMS) to increase Bhutia's chance of winning the trophy. This performance put Bhutia's relationship with his club Mohun Bagan in jeopardy, as he missed a friendly, as well as practice sessions, due to his participation in the reality show.
Politics
In 2014, Bhutia joined the All India Trinamool Congress and unsuccessfully contested the 2014 Indian general election from Darjeeling constituency. In 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election he supported Left Front in favor of Veteran Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Ashok Bhattacharya.
Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools
On 28 October 2010, he started Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools in Delhi in partnership with Carlos Queiroz. BBFS also entered into partnership with United Sikkim and Garhwal FC for opening up coaching camps with grassroot framework in hilly areas of Sikkim and West Bengal in 2013.