Bhaichung (left) meets players at the Batasi Football Ground on Monday. Picture by Kundan Yolmo

Siliguri, Dec.1: Bhaichung Bhutia, the ace Indian footballer, feels that although bringing Maradona to Bengal and felicitating him would be a good gesture, the country’s former soccer stars also should be recognised for their contribution to the sport.

Bhutia was here this afternoon to kick off an inter-gram panchayat football tournament, organised by the Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad, at the Batasi Football Ground, about 40km from here. Twenty-two gram panchayats will participate in the tournament and the winners will receive the Bikash Ghosh Memorial Trophy. The former mayor of Siliguri Municipal Corporation passed away on November 25. Asok Bhattacharya, state urban development minister and Mani Thapa, the sabhadhipati of the Parishad, were also present.

The captain of Indian soccer team, while speaking about the former Argentine soccer star’s reception in Calcutta, said: “It will be a great moment for Indian football and everybody is going to enjoy it. I am also looking forward to be a part of it.”

“We should utilise the hype surrounding Maradona’s arrival for the benefit of the former soccer stars of the country. Indian footballers had taken part in three Olympics in the past. Many of the former Olympians have financial problems and my request is to help them with the money that will be collected from the reception,” said the footballer.

Bhutia, who is also one of the officials of the Footballers Welfare Association of India, said if he got a chance, he would request the organisers of the reception to help at least three former soccer Olympians of the country.

“That will be the crowning point of such a grand event,” he said. Bhutia, however, did not disclose the names of the footballers he had in mind. “Let my proposal be accepted first,” he said.

Bhutia said that he knew Bikash Ghosh very well and recalled his association with the mayor, while paying tribute to him before inaugurating the football tournament.