New Delhi: Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia today said his ex-colleagues Climax Lawrence and Mahesh Gawli took hasty decisions to retire from international football as he felt that the duo could have served the country for some more years.
Indian football is in a transition period after the retirements of three stalwarts of the game in Bhutia, Climax and Gawli. While Bhutia quit the game last year, Climax and Gawli hung up their boots recently.
“If you ask me personally, I feel Climax and Mahesh should have played for some more years (for India). They had age on their side. They were just 32 and 31 respectively whereas when I retired I was 35,” Bhutia said during the unveiling of the UEFA EURO 2012 Trophy at the residence of Denmark Ambassador to India, Freddy Svane here.
“I feel they took a hasty decision,” he added.
India’s preparation for next month’s AFC Challenge Cup did not start on a good note as they lost to higher-ranked Oman 1-5 in friendly match at Muscat on Thursday.
But all said and done, Bhutia, a veteran of many such occasions, said the fans should not take the result of the friendly seriously as India have the potential of springing some surprises in the March 8-19 event in Kathmandu.
“I watched the friendly match against Oman. But we can’t judge our team on the basis of a friendly because in such games we tend to try out a few things, a few combinations. That is what (coach) Savio Medeira tried against Oman,” he said.
“I know it will be difficult for us (in AFC Challenge Cup) as we are in a tough group along with North Korea, but nothing is impossible,” an optimistic Bhutia added.
‘Revamped I-League has to be pan-Indian’
Bhutia also observed the new-look I-League on the lines of US Major League Soccer (MLS) should encompass the entire country and not be confined to a few select cities.
Bhutia said the game right now is restricted to a handful of cities. If I-League has to be popular, it has to be pan-Indian.
“For I-league, the important thing is to spread the game across the country. You can’t have 80 percent of the clubs from Kolkata and Goa. Then you are playing I-League between two cities. First of all, we need to spread the game, once that is done fans from all over the country will watch it. They will flock to the stadiums as well,” said Bhutia.
Bhutia felt that a football fan would get frustrated and bored if he kept watching the same two teams play over and over again.
“If I am a football fan from Kolkata and five teams are playing there, ten times a year if I watch East Bengal play Mohun Bagan, I think somewhere down the line I would get fed up. So it’s important we manage it properly. I-League clubs asking for revenue-sharing is absolutely genuine, but the problem is AIFF itself is not making money. So, where do they get it from?” said Bhutia. (Agencies)