Bhaichung Bhutia will rub shoulders with legends such as Italy's World Cup winning skipper Fabio Cannavaro and former Portuguese mid-fielder Luis Figo during a seven-a-side Laureus Football Challenge during which the Indian's team will have the legendary Sir Bobby Charlton as manager.
Perak FC edged out Serawak 4-3 on aggregate in the Malaysia Cup football tournament.
Indian captain Bhaichung Bhutia on Friday said the shutting down of Mahindra United should serve as a wake-up call for All India Football Federation who need to encourage fan-based clubs.
Top German football club Bayern Munich, on Wednesday, announced a 24-member squad for the Bhaichung Bhutia farewell exhibition match against India XI, in New Delhi, on January 10 with all the first team players being named.
Bhaichung Bhutia will lead India in the qualifying league matches of the AFC Asian Cup
The ace striker is not among the 32 players named for the national coaching camp, starting August 4 in Kolkata, in preparation for the AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia on August 16.
India's friendly match against German football giant, Bayern Munich in January next year will be Indian legend Bhaichung Bhutia's "official farewell match", the AIFF said on Saturday.
But East Bengal, the ace striker's club, will not oblige.
India are placed alongside Singapore, Oman and Japan for the Azian zone round.
Indian football captain Bhaichung Bhutia will rub shoulders with a host of yesteryear stars, including World Cup winner Marcel Desailly of France and former England winger Steve McManaman, in the Laureus Football Challenge charity match in Abu Dhabi on February 7.
Having missed the IFA Shield and Durand Cup, Baichung Bhutia said he is not fully fit and will take some time to settle down when he dons the East Bengal jersey in the I-League.
India captain Baichung Bhutia rued the missed chances in the SAFF Cup 2-1 semi-final victory over Bhutan on Wednesday. In Saturday's final, India meet Maldives, who got the better of Sri Lanka 1-0 in the other semi-final.
The ace striker took his international goal tally to 44 after scoring in the ASEAN championship match against Persita Tangerang.
A second-half strike by skipper Bhaichung Bhutia helped Mohun Bagan beat Sporting Clube de Goa 1-0 for their ninth consecutive win in the Round XIV match of the ONGC I-League at the floodlit Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Friday.
'We want more and more teams to join the I-League and ISL. With this, the two competitions will get stronger. We need more teams so that more players get chances'
India's skipper has two yellow cards and will miss the crucial match at the Asian Games today.
Mohun Bagan beat East Bengal 1-0 in a closely-fought match of the IFA Premier Division\nFootball League in Kolkata on Tuesday.
While about 8,000 people are in the long list of invitees, the select list features 506 A-listers, including prominent politicians, leading industrialists, top film stars, sportspersons, diplomats, judges and high priests.
Singh claimed that union minister of law and justice Rijiju 'exhorted' the state association members to vote against Bhutia
The elections to the AIFF Executive Committee will be held on September 2 and aspiring candidates can file fresh nominations from August 25, the returning officer announced.
The Indian football ace, who is nursing a calf muscle injury, blamed the system for his lapse.
Lallianzuala Chhangte was named the AIFF Men's Footballer of the Year, on the back of his impressive performance in the Indian Super League (ISL) and for the national team.
Football Delhi president Shaji Prabhakaran, who had filed the nomination papers for the president's post when the polls were to be held under the aegis of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) on August 28, decided not to stand for elections this time.
Chief coach Stephen Constantine expressed confidence that the team would retain the LG Cup it won in 2002.
Usually, taking two wickets against a strong North Zone would leave any 17-year-old bowler with a wide smile. But Jotin Singh's smile had a tinge of nervousness.
Veteran striker Sunil Chhetri will be spearheading the Indian challenge and besides his longtime teammate Sandeep Jhingan, he will also be able to avail the services of Chinglensana Singh and Lalchungnunga.
Chhetri has played for India 142 times and has scored 92 goals, the most by an Indian. He is also currently the third most prolific scorer in international football among active players, behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Besides vice president N A Harris, treasurer Ajay Kipa, all other newly elected executive committee members, and the six eminent footballers co-opted in the committee, except Bhutia, were present in the meeting.
On day three after a flash flood wreaked havoc in Sikkim's Teesta basin, the number of bodies recovered from the river and mud embankments downstream rose to 22, including seven army men.
When asked about Indian football, Bhutia said: "There should be long term planning. Lately, we have not been able to do well, it will take time."
India were able to stitch a rag-tag final squad only on Friday and the team left for China on Sunday, leaving no time for the players to even have a training session together.
Chaubey, a former goalkeeper for big clubs like Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, welcomed Bhutia in the executive committee as a co-opted member.
The release of water from the Chungthang dam led to a sudden increase in water levels up to 15-20 feet high downstream, defence spokesperson Lt Col Mahendra Rawat said.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the removal of reference to the Sikkimese-Nepalese as "people of foreign origin" from its January 13 verdict on tax exemption in Sikkim, following a plea by the Centre and others for modification.
Unveiling Sunil Chhetri's hidden side: From troublemaker to inspirational captain!
This was the second executive committee meeting of the new dispensation headed by president Kalyan Chaubey and secretary general Prabhakaran.
Indian football icon Bhaichung Bhutia picked Kerala Blasters youngster Sahal Abdul Samad to be the next big scorer for the country after captain Sunil Chhetri's retirement. One of the youngest members of the Indian line-up, Sahal, who made his debut in the 2019 Kings Cup, has impressed coach Igor Stimac and Chhetri with his dribbling and passing abilities.
The 33-year-old former India captain, who was last seen in action in England in June-July, is back after a one-month break that saw him skip two white-ball series in the West Indies and Zimbabwe.
The government in its application has virtually accepted all the demands made by the FIFA
The West Bengal government objected to the inclusion of the Leader of the Opposition in the committee.
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