Baichung Bhutia to visit TBSFA Taobungkhok today
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, September 06 2012: Renown footballer of India Baichung Bhutia, who has lead the country in many international tournaments successfully will be visiting the Th Birachandra Singh Football Academy at Taobungkhok tomorrow and interact with the young players who are being trained at the academy.

The acde footballer of India is in Imphal on a three day visit for some personal reasons.

During his visit, he will be meeting the young players at the TBSFA situated at Taobungkhok Makha Leikai.

TBSFA is a premiere football academy of Manipur who has produced many successfull footballers in its history.

The academy has been providing training to young and emerging prospects of the state who are determined to make a space in the world of football.

Baichung who came here on Wednesday will be leaving Imphal tomorrow afternoon at 2 pm after an interaction programme with the trainee footballers of the academy at Taobungkhok.

The visit was completely off schedule from the three day visit of Baichung.

He agreed to meet the trainees for two hours upon request of the academy.

It is not the first time, the academy is being visited by renown footballers.

In past, many foreign players and coaches have visited the academy and provided training and new techniques to its students.

However, tomorrow's visit of Baichung Bhutia will boost the sporting spirit of the trainees who are undergoing training in the academy.

There are high possibilities of the ace footballer to bring his team in the state and play exhibition matches with the academy in the near future.

There are even possibilities of Baichung recruiting players from the academy for his team.

In Fifa's century club list only eight players, which include legends like Lothar Mathaeus (Germany) and Henrik Larsson (Sweden) have had a longer international career than Baichung.

His feat has enabled India to become the 12th Asian country to join the century club.

As India play few international matches, it has taken Baichung 14 years to reach his milestone.

He first played for India in the 1995 Nehru Cup in Chennai, and, barring injury his international career should last at least till the 2011 Asia Cup.

Baichung is the first Indian footballer whose appeal on a national level has transcended his sport.

He is a brand ambassador for Nike; in his native Sikkim a stadium is named after him.

With 43 international goals so far, he is India's top-scorer and could become the first Indian to score 50 goals.

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