GUWAHATI: Former India football captain, Bhaichung Bhutia says that while Northeast is considered the ‘soccer capital of India, a concerted effort to sustain the football culture and provide emerging players the right platform is the need of the hour.
“The Northeast is known as the football capital of the country. Now, a few soccer clubs have emerged over the years and made their mark in the I-League and Indian Super League (ISL). However, more needs to be done in terms of nurturing the huge pool of young talent in the region. There is a need to generate the right platform and sustain the soccer culture as we move ahead,” Bhutia told The Shillong Times here on Saturday.
The legendary footballer from Sikkim, who launched an outlet of American performance and lifestyle footwear brand, Skechers, here, was happy for the city as a host for a number of national and international soccer matches apart from multi-discipline sporting events over the past few years.
Last month, Assam chief minister announced that an ASEAN football championship comprising 10 ASEAN countries apart from south Asian countries such as India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal, would be soon hosted in the city.
“Guwahati, for sure, is becoming an important city for sports. Tomorrow, we have the ASEAN Youth Summit as well here,” the 42-year-old said.
Asked about Meghalaya and its craze for soccer, Bhutia said, “Meghalaya has done really well over the years, especially with Shillong Lajong FC setting the trend and leading the way. In Santosh Trophy also, Meghalaya has done well and the performance can only get better in the years to come.”
The football legend was also seen interacting with a number of his followers at the launch of the Skechers outlet here. On the footwear brand, he said, “It is wonderful to see Skechers coming up in the Northeast as the brand offers a wide variety of comfortable shoes in fashion and performance category for all age groups.”