Bhaichung Bhutia is juggling his football commitments and politics with aplomb... A ‘challenge’ of a new kind has kept him busy now, that of floating one’s own political party, Hamro Sikkim

Bhaichung Bhutia in a Troy Costa suit, at the JW Marriott Kolkata poolside. Pabitra Das

Saionee Chakraborty, TT: He was not sure how long he had been away from Calcutta, the city he called home for more than two decades, a city that has seen Bhaichung Bhutia become the man he is today. But he had been away long enough to miss ‘her’ dearly. A ‘challenge’ of a new kind has kept him busy now, that of floating one’s own political party, Hamro Sikkim. And, yes, ‘challenge’ is the one word that dots this t2 chat, at his JW Marriott suite, on a whirlwind trip to the city recently.

Saionee Chakraborty:

You’re coming back to Calcutta after a very long time...

Bhaichung Bhutia: Very very long. I do miss Calcutta. I have spent my entire life here — 22 years. I have been busy with mostly politics back home and before that a bit of football. Politics has got its own challenges. Sometimes you wake up in the morning and think, ‘Why am I doing this? I just want to quit’ and the next morning you are like: ‘It’s great’.

The good part is you connect with people and try and help them out. I have been following politics throughout my footballing days as well and now if what I say makes a difference and people do hear, then I would try to channelise that in the right direction. 

Saionee Chakraborty:

How are you juggling your football commitments now that you have your political party? 

Bhaichung Bhutia: My football schools (Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools) have one of the biggest grassroot football programmes in India. We started in 2010 and now we have 3,000 kids training with us every day. We produced seven footballers who went on to play for India U-16 or U-19 and we have been able to do that with limited resources. I started with my own investment. Today 10-15 of my students are playing in ISL and I-League. There are 40-50 employees running them. We have 100-plus coaches working with us. Whenever there are new inputs, I go and discuss with my coaches. We are trying to expand in terms of the number of football schools.

My club (United Sikkim F.C.) is doing reasonably well. We’ve been the state league champion for the last three years. It’s been a challenge again because I funded it completely on my own; it’s not a big cost. I have 20-30 players, all local boys. This year we are looking forward to playing the second division of I-League. Komal Thatal who is playing for ATK was an eight-10-year-old boy sent through United Sikkim for U-10, in Calcutta, and that’s where he was spotted.   

Bhaichung with his kids (l-r) Keisha, Ugen and Samara. Pabitra Das

Saionee Chakraborty:

What about commentary?

Bhaichung Bhutia: I have stopped after the World Cup. I need to focus on my party. If the party does well in elections, it will definitely take a back seat. 

Saionee Chakraborty:

Did you take to politics instantly?

Bhaichung Bhutia: With sports, you control your own destiny. The results are there because of your hard work and in politics no matter how hard you work, the results are in someone else’s hands. In sports, you always tend to lose to a better opponent, but in politics you might lose to someone who can lie more or is more corrupt and could be the most horrible person.

I think it is a challenge. It’s not that I am going to do politics for the rest of my life. A group of us friends have come together and formed this party. When I was in Bengal politics (with Trinamool Congress), it was a good experience and I took it because I wanted to see how it goes. This is my own baby. I get to work from the roots, which is great. 

Saionee Chakraborty:

So, you are not disillusioned?

Bhaichung Bhutia: Not at all. When you fail, you need to rise. When I failed in elections in Bengal, I opened my own party. (Laughs out loud) 

Saionee Chakraborty:

That’s where your sportsman spirit also kicked in…

Bhaichung Bhutia: I think sports really helps in this. In sports, you don’t win all the time or lose all the time. You don’t give up on your defeats because you always have the next match to look forward to. Also, for 40 years of my life, from my childhood, I have done just one thing — play football. It has all been about competition and competitiveness. I always like challenges, it brings out the best in me. Big matches always brought out that side. I want people to abuse or hit me on the field. That brings out the best in me. 

(L-R) Samara, Ugen and Keisha make for one sporty pack. Pabitra Das

Saionee Chakraborty:

How are your kids doing?

Bhaichung Bhutia: They are growing up. I get to spend a lot of time in Sikkim. My daughters (Keisha and Samara) are into gymnastics. They have picked up the somersault and backflips through YouTube. My son (Ugen) is into a bit of football. Every time he comes back from school, he is only talking about football. His favourites keep changing. Whichever team wins, that becomes his favourite and whoever scores a goal, that player becomes his favourite too. He is now following a bit of Barcelona. So, (Lionel) Messi. 

Saionee Chakraborty:

So they are growing up to be sporty?

Bhaichung Bhutia: Very sporty. It’s not that we forced them. In school athletics, they win all the medals. My son is quite a competitive guy when we play as well, he hates losing. Even my girls.

Saionee Chakraborty:

Did you want them to spend their childhood in Sikkim?

Bhaichung Bhutia: For them to spend their childhood in Sikkim was very important for me. They are now eight-and-a-half and my younger daughter is seven. They should spend time in Sikkim till they are 10. That way they are connected to the mountains and culture. When they grow up, they should remember their childhood days. 

Saionee Chakraborty:

Do they now understand that you are famous?

Bhaichung Bhutia: They do and they get a bit carried away sometimes. Whenever we are travelling, people often come up to talk. So, they notice that. And even among their friends… they feel proud and they want me to go to school every day to drop them off so that they can show off to their friends, which is quite funny.

Saionee Chakraborty:

How are you keeping it normal for them?

Bhaichung Bhutia: I try and make them walk to school when the weather is good because my house is just a kilometre away from school. We live in the middle of the jungle and we’ve got a big space. So, I encourage them to spend time outdoors. On Saturdays and Sundays, I try to take them to a local school ground, so that they mingle with the other kids and also get that rough taste.

Saionee Chakraborty:

A film is now being made on you by Anand Kumar… 

Bhaichung Bhutia: I think more than inspiration, for me, it is going to be about sharing my story. From Sikkim to Bengal — the cultural differences, the passion for football in Calcutta. It should have a great football story as well because my life has been about Calcutta football — Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. That has to be the main part. The kind of passion, rivalry, the environment of a derby, the kind of pressure the players go through. I have had the experience of shifting from one to another and then coming back. The kind of torture you go through from both camps when you don’t succeed (laughs)… it’s like you are in the middle of nowhere, and then the love and adulation when you do. It’s more about the prestige of the fans and you have to bear the brunt of their frustration. It is a great experience though. For any player, playing in Calcutta is not easy, you need to be strong because not everyone can handle that pressure. 

Saionee Chakraborty:

Who do you want to see playing Bhaichung Bhutia on screen?

Bhaichung Bhutia: There are a few people they were discussing, like Ranbir Kapoor plays good football... even Tiger Shroff, I think, is a good footballer.

Saionee Chakraborty:

What about the fitness tourism project you were planning?

Bhaichung Bhutia: We were trying to do fitness tourism but now we are planning a resort. 

Saionee Chakraborty:

So, leisure time is what now?

Bhaichung Bhutia: There is no leisure time. It’s only when I come back to sleep. (Smiles) But before you wake up, there are people to meet you.