Baichung Bhutia
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Bhaichung Bhutia | ||
| Date of birth | 15 December 1976 | ||
| Place of birth | Tinkitam, Sikkim, India | ||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1993–1995 | East Bengal | 9 | (4) |
| 1995–1997 | JCT Mills | 20 | (15) |
| 1997–1999 | East Bengal | 31 | (15) |
| 1999–2002 | Bury | 37 | (3) |
| 2002–2003 | Mohun Bagan | 11 | (6) |
| 2003 | → Perak FA (loan) | 8 | (4) |
| 2003–2005 | East Bengal | 38 | (21) |
| 2005 | Selangor MK Land | 5 | (1) |
| 2005–2006 | East Bengal | 16 | (12) |
| 2006–2009 | Mohun Bagan | 45 | (19) |
| 2009–2011 | East Bengal | 3 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | United Sikkim | 3 | (0) |
| 2015 | East Bengal | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 226 | (100) | |
| National team‡ | |||
| 1995–2011 | India | 104 | (40) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2012 | United Sikkim (caretaker) | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 13 February 2015. ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 10 January 2012 |
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Bhaichung Bhutia (born 15 December 1976) is a retired Indian footballer of Sikkimese-Bhutia descent who played as a striker. Bhutia is considered to be the torchbearer of Indian football in the international arena. He is often nicknamed the Sikkimese Sniper because of his shooting skills in football. Three-time Indian Player of the Year I. M. Vijayan described Bhutia as "God's gift to Indian football". Bhaichung Bhutia has an older brother named Chewang Bhutia. Chewang and Bhaichung both went to boarding school. Bhutia was married in 2004 to a hotel professional and divorced in 2015.
Bhutia has had four spells at I-League football team East Bengal Club, the club where he started his career. When he joined English club Bury in 1999, he became the first Indian footballer to sign a contract with a European club and only the second to play professionally in Europe, after Mohammed Salim. Afterwards he had a short loan spell at the Malaysian football club Perak FA. As well as this he has played for JCT Mills, which won the league once during his tenure; and Mohun Bagan, which failed to win the league once during his two spells, in his native India. His international footballing honours include winning the Nehru Cup, LG Cup, SAFF Championship three times and the AFC Challenge Cup. He is also India's most capped player, with 104 international caps to his name, and in 2009 Nehru Cup he received his 100th international cap.
Off the field, Bhutia is known for winning the reality television programme Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, which caused much controversy with his then-club Mohun Bagan, and for being the first Indian athlete to boycott the Olympic torch relay in support of the Tibetan independence movement. Bhutia, who has a football stadium named after him in honour of his contribution to Indian football (first player to have such honour while he is still playing), has also won many awards, such as the Arjuna Award and the Padma Shri.
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