We travelled in third class unreserved seats in trains to play for India, reveals Bhaichung Bhutia
Bhaichung Bhutia, once the poster boy of Indian football, revealed how the scenario of the sport has changed in the country since his heyday where footballers travelled in unreserved train seats. The Sikkimese was India's leading goalscorer in all competitions before Sunil Chhetri overtook him.
The I-League and subsequently the Indian Super League have injected professionalism into the Indian football system which it seriously lacked prior to that. Previously, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) worked on a low budget; could not afford airfares and accommodation for the national team players. Bhaichung Bhutia recalls how he travelled three days in an unreserved train seat to play for India in Trivandrum when he was just 15.
"In those days, it was impossible to get a reservation in trains. So, we often ended up traveling in third class unreserved seats in trains. Obviously, the federation wasn't that rich to give us airfare and good accommodation. We were all staying at SAI centers in different parts of the country,” recalled Bhaichung Bhutia, as reported by Sportskeeda.
“It was a challenging time, but we didn't really care as I was very excited to play for India. In fact, I travelled from Sikkim to Trivandrum, Kerala in an unreserved train seat as a 15-year old boy. Three days and three nights without a proper seat just to play for the country, when you have that love for the sport, you are ready to do anything," added the former footballer.
The former Indian skipper also admitted that the condition of football has improved over the years and the clubs are now professionals with more financial viability.
“The clubs obviously were not professional in those days, they had bigger challenges, no sponsorships, no corporate support. They were lacking in terms of finances and players had to wait for payments, there were no formal contracts. Now, you have agents for players and the clubs are more organized. The life is definitely much better, but it can certainly improve,” added Bhutia.
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