BHAICHUNG TAKES US THROUGH HIS FIRSTS...

First time you touched a football

I cannot remember exactly when that happened, but it was surely in my village, Tinkitam. My family was big on football: both my dad and my elder brother were very good footballers.

First time you decided to be a footballer

That would be when I got a scholarship to SAI for football. I was 10 years old and I knew I wanted to play football, nothing else.

First time you played in Calcutta

At the club level, that was in 1993 with East Bengal. It obviously felt great. But I had played in Calcutta before on two or three occasions, a few school tournaments, playing for St Xavier’s, Tashigang. And no, we didn’t win any of those tournaments!

First time you played for India

I played all the levels: for the Under-16 team in 1992, the Under-19 team in 1994 and then the senior nationals. Playing for the senior team was a big corner for me; you always want to reach the highest level of the sport that you play, and there’s nothing like representing your country. In the first match against Thailand, though, I was not in the playing XI; I waited on the bench. I played the second match against Uzbekistan and scored! It was a great feeling.

First time you captained India

That was against England in Fulham. It was a great honour, but at the same time, the responsibility didn’t weigh me down.

First time India qualified for the Asia Cup after 24 years

Oh, that was massive! By far, I think, that’s my biggest achievement as a footballer. Qualifying for the Asia Cup is akin to qualifying for the Euro Cup for us; it’s a huge thing in Asian football.

First time you met Madhuri

That was in Calcutta…

First time you knew you wanted to marry Madhuri

I guess you don’t really have one specific moment of truth where you decide you want to marry a person (laughs). I think that decision develops as the relationship progresses.

BHAICHUNG TELLS US HOW HE FEELS ABOUT…

Picture by Santosh Ghosh

Playing for East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, JCT and Bury FC

I will say this: I have enjoyed my stints with all the clubs that I have played for and all of them have been great learning experiences for me

Being a footballer in a country crazy about cricket

I just feel sad about the fact that the government and the football fraternity aren’t doing enough for football in this country where there is no lack of talent. Now, we also have the money; what we need are ideas…. (At this point of time, I’m just a player playing my game, I cannot implement my ideas. But yes, I have a few.)

Being a hero and role model for so many youngsters

That certainly does feel nice.

Being a shy boy living constantly in the public eye

You really cannot help it. I mean, I would love to be recognised on the field and not so much off it. But this is the way things are. All said and done, I don’t let the attention affect my life. I still go out with my friends, watch movies, go partying. I don’t let the attention get to me. I have not changed my life to suit the glare.

A FEW OF BHAICHUNG’S FAVOURITE THINGS...

World footballer of all time:

Diego Maradona

Current footballer in the world:

It used to be Thierry Henry and now it's Fernando Torres, David Villa, Cesc Fabregas, Cristiano Ronaldo

Indian footballer of all time:

I.M. Vijayan

Current footballer in India:

Sunil Chhetri and Steven Dias, among others

Club team in the world:

Arsenal

Football ground:

Salt Lake Stadium

Timepass:

Watching television (everything, from the news to the Discovery Channel), spending time with friends and family

TV shows:

Ali G and Only Fools And Horses

Films:

The Godfather, Scarface, The Shawshank Redemption, Munna Bhai MBBS

Bolly actor & actress:

Aamir Khan, Deepika Padukone

Tolly actor & actress:

Don’t watch much, but Jisshu is good and Koel is also quite big now

Nightclub in Cal:

I don’t have any one favourite: whenever we go partying, we hop. And they’re all within five minutes of each other anyway. So we start from Tantra, visit Venom and then usually party on till late at Soho.

Stressbuster: Sleep

THINGS BHAICHUNG WOULD WANT TO CHANGE...

In the way club football is run in the city and the country

In both fields, we really need to change the way football is run. The key word is infrastructure. There's a serious necessity for good training facilities and good football fields; that’s all that players really require. As for bringing in people, it would be good if the state and central governments and even the privately owned clubs build proper stadiums. Improving the basic standards, really.

In the way the country looks at the Northeast

What I strongly feel is that this is an issue for both parties. The problems need active involvement from the central government and positive response from the Northeastern states. Till now, whatever has been done is not good enough. This cannot be a one-way affair. The effort to solve the way we look at the Northeast has to come from both sides. [Sikkim is still better off. But if we don’t take up the issues with the other states, this will only deteriorate.]

In Bhaichung the footballer

Maybe just being taller. I am 5’8’; being over 6 feet tall would’ve probably helped… But then I’m happy with my height!

In Bhaichung the person

At this point of time, I’m not regretting anything. I’ve been following Brahma Kumari over the past two months and the preachings have really opened up a lot of things for me. And the best part about Brahma Kumari is that it’s non-religious.

Picture by Bishwarup Dutta

BHAICHUNG’S DIET...

Mornings: Cereal and milk and a fruit before training; a bowl of soup after training.

Lunch: Usual meals comprise dal, rice and vegetables and meat. Usually home-cooked food, prepared by Madhuri.

Dinner: Is at 7pm sharp. The day prior to matches, I sleep by 10pm. If it’s not a match-day and I’m out on a weekend, I tend to party late. But I do that in moderation, maybe once a month.

We need carbohydrates that give us lots of energy, so my usual diet comprises rice. It’s balanced with the protein in the meat. And my favourite food is momo.

BHAICHUNG’S FITNESS REGIMEN...

It all comes down to club training. This is usually categorised into pre-season and in-season training.

Pre-Season: This training has to do with working on stamina and involves lots of sprints. The gym workouts are usually weight-training and strengthening exercises with weights; usually an hour-long session every day.

In season: Has to do more with game training, more technically involved aspects of the game, with a focus on how to function as a team. Apart from that, hitting the gym is a must every day. I like working out; it’s fun. Even when you're having a long and tiring season, workouts can boost the morale and once you start enjoying it, there’s really no looking back.

BHAICHUNG’S STYLE…

How would you define style?

Being comfortable and confident in what you’re wearing. Also, being happy with what you're wearing. If you’re not happy, it shows and then you’re not being stylish anymore.

Does style come naturally to you?

Yes, I’d say so

Who buys your clothes?

80 per cent is bought by my wife; I buy the rest 20 per cent. She knows what I wear.

Your favourite outfit?

For a formal do I like wearing a suit; for a nightclub I like wearing comfy trousers and a nice shirt; for a casual outing I’m usually in jeans and tees.

What does Madhuri think you look best in?

Madhuri thinks I look good in anything I wear [Sunil Chhetri butts in with: “Tick-tick, lie-meter!”]

Your favourite accessory?

I’m not big on accessories; but I do need a phone (at this point it’s the Apple iPhone 3G). It is a necessity, but not a luxury.

Who is the most stylishCalcuttan?

I think footballers are by far the most stylish, not just in Calcutta but all over the world. They experiment with clothes and hairstyles all the time. I think Rennedy (Singh) and Sunil are really stylish, though Sunil copies much of his style statement from me [Bhaichung winks at Sunil who protests: “It’s not copying, it’s inspiration!”) I experiment with my hair quite a lot as well. I plan to get another tattoo, but I don’t know when or what. I think Subhasis Roy Chowdhury (Mahindra United goal-keeper) Sunil and Rennedy are really trendy.

Arka Das
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