2024 has turned out to be a turbulent year for Indian football so far with India failing to qualify for the third round of the FIFA 2026 World Cup Qualifiers. The Indian team including Manveer Singh and Lallianzuala Chhangte suffered a setback in the rankings. Despite a poor year for Indian football, former footballing great Baichung Bhutia has expressed optimism about the future of Indian football.
The Indian football icon, fondly called 'Pahari Biche' by his fans, participated in the Sports Carnival in Durgapur on Monday. Talking about the recent performance of the Indian football team, Bhaichung said to ETV Bharat, "There are many qualifier matches scheduled for India this year. Indian football is progressing. The new guys are playing well. 2025 will be a very good year for Indian football."
On being asked about who can be the torchbearer for Indian football after the likes of Bhaichung Bhutia and Sunil Chhetri established it on the international stage, he stated that many new boys are coming up in the Indian football who can take their legacy forward.
"Indian football has improved a lot since the launch of the Indian Super League. Many new boys are coming up. All these boys will perform well for the national team in 2025." The message of 'Pahari Biche' to the current footballers of the national team is, "Work hard, everyone. There will definitely be good results in the 2025 Asian Cup qualifiers."
Bhutia, who is the second Indian footballer to get a chance at a European club (Bury FC) also opined that Mohun Bagan has better quality in their side and that's why they beat East Bengal. He said that the red-yellow team is a little behind the green-maroon team in terms of quality. However, East Bengal will surely return to its former glory gradually.
Bhaichung handed over certificates and medals to the winners of the marathon held at the sports carnival. He also fulfilled the selfie requests of countless fans with a smile. Currently, Bhutia is busy with his own football academy. Bhaichung is the second-highest scorer of India in international football.
