Tag: India
EXHIBITION MATCH CANCELLED
Carlos Valderama and Ruud Gullit were amongst the big names of World football to run out in an exhibition match in India last month. The game had been scheduled to be played in Kolkata but was moved to Gangtok due to “unavoidable circumstances”.
The game was played between an Indian side led by Baichung Bhutia, seen by many as the best Indian footballer and the best chance of football making it in India, and an international “Super Stars XI” side. The Indian side, United Sikkim, is an Indian Second division side, part owned by Bhutia and containing two current Indian internationals. Bhutia has seemingly made it his ambition to bring football to the masses in India and ensure the second biggest population in the world can fall in love with the most popular sport in the world. By bringing the International legends side to India it gave Indian players a chance to play with and spectators the chance to see such legends of the game as Valderama, Gullit, Regi Blinker and Christian Karembu.
The area was devastated by an earthquake in September, which killed around 100 people. The event put on by Bhutia was seen as a tribute to those who died and an attempt to give the local area something to be proud of and to put themselves back on the map. The local and national governments provided support for the event, giving tax exemptions and any logistical support that was required.
The area of Sikkim has understandably struggled since the earthquake, with tourist levels decreasing and local moral falling drastically. This event gave the region a memorable event and attracted football fans from the surrounding area. The hope was that bringing these legends of world football to the area as well as many international and Indian celebrities together would give the region a much needed boost to its economy and reputation throughout India.
