INDIAN FOOTBALL

Bhaichung Bhutia appeals for financial aid to Sikkim Government and AIFF

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Bhaichung Bhutia, the legendary footballer has appealed to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and state sports department to provide financial aid and stability to the Sikkim Football Association(SFA). The SFA has been hit heavily by the pandemic and is low on funds. Football, the main sport of Sikkim, has lost out on participation in various competitions due to a lack of funds.

“Indian football captain Sunil Chettri came up through the Santosh Trophy platform. It is sad to see that talent from Sikkim not being able to compete in these prestigious tournaments due to the lack of finances” – Bhaichung Bhutia

Sikkim was unable to send and field a team for Santosh Trophy due to a lack of funds. Santosh Trophy is a prestigious tournament where the likes of mercurial striker Sunil Chettri have been unearthed. The Indian captain has been the spearhead of Indian Football. Bhutia can no longer take the condition and lack of progress in the state where he prevails from.

“The weather in Sikkim is very cold but the tournaments are held in states where the weather is around 40 degrees. To make a capable team, we have to have training camps for our players outside the state for certain periods before a tournament, only then will we succeed,” said the legendary footballer.

Bhaichung mentioned that Sikkim Cricket Association received around Rs 15 crore annually from the BCCI. However, the sport of football has always lacked in the financial aspect. He also appealed to the state sports department to dedicate a stadium in Khel Gaon, East Sikkim. He believes that the SFA can carry out training and coaching camps with dedicated facilities

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