File Photo: Former Indian National Football Team Captain Bhaichung Bhutia.(Photo Courtesy: All India Football Federation/the-aiff.com)
Dimapur, January 24 (MExN): Padma Shri and former Indian National Football Team Captain Bhaichung Bhutia will be delivering the Dr T Ao Memorial Lecture at Durbar Hall, Raj Bhavan Kohima on January 28.
The lecture is part of the ongoing year-long 100th birth anniversary celebration of Dr Talimeren Ao, popularly known as Dr T Ao, the first Naga Olympian and India's first football team captain.
Arguably one of the most iconic names to have worn the Indian National Team jersey, the 42-year-old footballer will deliver the lecture in the evening, as per a publicity material issued by the Directorate of Youth Resources & Sports Nagaland.
In his hey days, Bhutia was nicknamed ‘Sikkimese Sniper’ because of his shooting skills in football, is also recipient of Arjuna Award and the only Indian to be inducted in the Hall of Fame of Asian Football Confederation in 2014.
In October 2010, the Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools (BBFS) in New Delhi was started under his initiative. . According to its website, the BBFS currently offers football coaching through 49 training centres across the country in “18 cities to 2500+ kids between the ages of 5 and 17.”
In August 2011, Bhutia announced his retirement from international football and India's longest serving football captain last adorned the national team jersey against Bayern Munich at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi on January 12, 2012.
According to sportskeeda.com, he appeared for the national team 107 times and has scored on 42 occasions.
After the retirement, besides being a regular commentator during major sporting events, he joined politics and contested election under Trinamool Congress (TMC) ticket.
Last year in April, Bhutia quit the TMC and formed the ‘Hamro Sikkim Party’ at Daramdin village in West Sikkim, formally announcing “his entry into Sikkim politics.”
