When one says that “Jammy appreciated Jumbo’s efforts”, it is easy to guess that it is Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble one is referring to. But what do you make out when one hears that “Bhai is on rampage” or “Zeeba is high on confidence”? Even the keenest followers of Indian football wouldn’t know the talk is about Bhaichung Bhutia and Mahesh Gawli. As the I-League comes to its conclusion Laxmi Negi takes a look at the football star’s interesting nicknames:• Baichung Bhutia (Mohun Bagan, striker): Bhai and Bhuti. Bhai happens to be the perfect name for Indian football’s big brother. • Subrata Pal (East Bengal goalkeeper): Mishti That’s what they call him at home and his teammates just picked it up. • Mahesh Gawli (Dempo, defender): Zeeba It’s a mystery how Gawli got this name. “One day I was going to school with my elder brother and he decided to call me ‘Zeeba’ and that was it!” says Gawli.• Santosh Koli (Air-India, defender): Madh ka Aamir Madh is the place where he stays and the Aamir Khan reference is because of his looks. • Napolean Singh (Air-India, defender): Sunny Deol Napolean’s well-toned frame reminds his friend of the action hero.• Ravindra Singh (Air-India, midfielder): Khotya Ravindra had a habit of endlessly uttering this harmless Punjabi slang for donkey to his erring teammates.• Jean Njoh (Air-India’s Cameroonian striker): Shakira. It is easy to guess why Njoh got this name — he can dance like the singing star.• EC Sarath (Air-India, goalkeeper): Nariyal Because Nariyal — coconut — happens to be Sarath’s favourite fruit.• Steven Dias (Mahindra United, midfielder): John His love for bikes means he gets compared to Bollywood’s stud John Abraham. • Bibiano Fernandes (Sporting, midfielder): PT Usha. His long stride and long hair make him stand out. • Edmilson Pardal (East Bengal striker): Poha EB’s former coach Carlos Roberto had a habit of saying Poha (that is ‘Oh, s**t’ in Portuguese). As a tribute, Pardal got to keep the name. • Zaheer Abbas (Air-India, midfielder): Deco His tireless, workman-like style of play led to a comparison with the Barcelona medio.
