Bhaichung Bhutia

Gangtok, July 14: Bhaichung Bhutia, who is currently in Europe for the Goal4Africa Project, may attend the first Manas Chakraborty Memorial Inter CISCE Schools Soccer Tournament to be held here from July 17.

Chakraborty was the Indian football skipper’s coach when he was a student of Tashi Namgyal Academy and was under the Sports Authority of India. He died last year while still in service at TNA. Eight institutions from the Darjeeling hills and Sikkim have confirmed their participation in the four-day meet to be held at the TNA grounds.

“We are hoping that Bhachung can make it before the finals. As of now, we cannot reach him in Europe, but there is a possibility that he can come,” said Shakti Singh, an executive committee member of Tashi Namgyal Academy Alumni Association.

Bhaichung had been invited for a friendly match that launched the Goal4Africa Project on July 12 to celebrate Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday at the Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany.

Top international players like Kaka, Steven Gerrard, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Gianluigi Buffon and Didier Drogba were also invited for the match.

Apart from TNA, teams from Himali Boarding School, St Augustine’s School and Rock Vale Academy in Kalimpong, St Xavier’s (Pakyong), North Point (Darjeeling), Don Bosco (Malbasey) and Namchi Public School are participating in the tourney, said Tseten Dorjee, the publicity secretary of the association.

An exhibition match between the teachers and the alumni association will also be held on July 20, the day of the final match.

Recently, the school and the alumni association had felicitated Bhaichung and named the main pavilion at the TNA grounds after him. At the ceremony, Bhaichung had fondly remembered his coach.