Bhaichung Bhutia, the former captain of the national football team, feels that Indian football can’t progress without nurturing talents from the grassroots.

Bhaichung, speaking on the sidelines of a corporate event in Siliguri on Thursday, said that he was also disappointed that no footballer from Bengal has been selected for the current senior national team.

“When I used to play and also before that, 90 per cent of the players were selected from Bengal for the national team and 99 per cent were from three major football clubs (Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting) of Calcutta. Unfortunately, it is no longer happening,” said Bhaichung, who has also played for East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, and some other prominent football clubs in the country.

The Indian football team will play a friendly match against Malaysia that will be conducted by FIFA on November 18.

As of now, India’s FIFA ranking is 121 among the football-playing nations.

Bhaichung said that it was high time for the revival of Bengal’s football and that it should begin from the grassroots.

“We should encourage football in rural areas and localities to find new talents,” the star footballer said.

“Some of the ace footballers from South America and other parts of the world have grown from street football. Raw talents have to be identified and then they should be properly trained,” Bhaichung, who is from Sikkim, said.

As of now, he has taken the initiative to set up a soccer academy in Bagdogra.

“The academy will come up in due course. I plan to nurture young talents and develop them as skilled footballers,” he said.