When Indian football team captain Baichung Bhutia signed for East Bengal earlier this year, it was purportedly because of the forward-looking plans of the Kolkata club. At the time, he had also promised to make amends for a bad 2002-03 season, and help his new club do well at the ASEAN Cup. He has his chance now as the club leaves for Jakarta on July 8 for the tournament starting July 15.‘‘We will definitely do well. We have a good side. A very balanced side. We just need to work on the coordination a bit, but it is going very well. And I think we should be able to make it to the final,’’ said Bhutia of their chances in the 12-team tournament where East Bengal will be pitted against the number one clubs from Thailand and Indonesia first up in the group phase.Last season was a poor one for Bhutia, who returned to India to join Mohun Bagan after three seasons with FC Bury in the English second division. But with EB recruiting high-profile South African trainer Kevin Jackson and concentrating on the fitness of the side, Bhutia says, ‘‘I am much better. In fact, the overall fitness of the team has gone up. We are getting used to the advanced scientific methods of training and are doing weight training and concentrating on specific areas for each player. It’s definitely helping and I think it will show in our performance.’’Not just Jackson, but the influence of all the foreigners in Bhutia’s life - national coach Stephen Constantine and the host of South Americans and Africans who play in the Indian domestic circuit - have been positive, according to Bhutia. He says, ‘‘Stephen has been the best thing to happen to us. Not just for me, but for all the players and the country. He has taken us a long way forward and though we can’t think too far ahead at this stage, things are definitely improving and he has played a big role.’’Ditto for players like Douglas de Silva and Jose Barreto, who ‘‘have raised the level of local football because competing and training with tougher guys help’’.In the midst of all the positives, however, Bhutia did rue the missed opportunity of defending the LG Cup in Vietnam, which the All India Football Federation cancelled after the date was brought forward. ‘‘I don’t want to blame anyone,’’ he said, ‘‘but it would have been great to go there again. Sometimes even the AIFF can’t do anything, but it’s best for Indian football if we can travel abroad more. There’s nothing like international exposure.’’As far as international exposure is concerned, Bhutia had had as much of it as anyone in India, ever. It’s clearly time for him to help show some results. He’s been in great form so far this season, and maybe Jakarta ’03 will turn out to be the occasion.
