Beyond the Goal: The Biography of Baichung Bhutia

by Mohammad Amin-Ul Islam, M.C. Mary Kom (Foreword)

Beyond The Goal: The Official Biography of Baichung Bhutia explains that what Sachin Tendulkar is to cricket in India, Baichung Bhutia is to football, a relatively less popular game in the subcontinent. Nevertheless, the Sikkimese is a household name in India because he was not just the best football player of the nation but also of the entire continent. Indeed, the Sikkimese Sniper, as he is fondly called for his superb shot accuracy, has been winning the hearts of one and all ever since he stepped into the football field in 1993 with his unbelievable skill and charming looks.

Bhutia provides ample fodder for a biography not just because he is a football icon in the continent but also because his career has not been without its fair share of controversies. It is the career path and controversies of Bhutia that the author, Islam, delves into in this book.

The author has touched upon the footballer's relationships with his coaches, the various clubs he played with during his time and, of course, his much-talked-about retirement. In tracing the high and low points of Bhutia's football career, what Islam effectively does is give readers a deep insight into the good, bad and ugly of the football world in India.

What also makes Beyond The Goal an enjoyable read is the fact that it features some never before seen pictures of the footballer. In addition, it has some insightful accounts by Bhutia's fellow sportspersons, including boxer Mary Kom and athlete Sunil Chhetri. The foreword for the text has been written by none other than the cricketing legend, Sachin Tendulkar.

224 pages, Paperback

Published September 28, 2014

Reviews

[Nikhil · Rating 2 out of 5]

Provided some great insights into the early life of our football legend Baichung Bhutia but lacked proper research. Content is not up to the mark and not well organised. This book covered football environment of Kolkata beautifully, including early career of Bhutia, fierce rivalry between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan but contains no such info about other parts of country. Expected more information about his life while playing for JCT and Bury FC.

[Anurag Anil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good one considering so few non-Cricket sports books, in India, catch attention!
But, beyond Baichung, I liked it more for the tidbits about Calcutta Football League.. tales about Nayeem, Amal 'Diamond' Dutta, Subhash Bhowmick, Somatai 'Soso' Shaiza, Kiron Khongsoi, Sathyan et al, names I had grown up with by reading about their exploits in 'The Telegraph' in the early and mid '90s, leading me to search - now - for any book on the Calcutta Football. If any recommendation anyone has, do ping me!

[Lakpa Tashi Bhutia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ohh the charm, charisma and courage, all that Bhaichung have is beautifully described in this book. Only talent is not sufficient to get into any pro-level sport in India. Politics is involved at every level. Perhaps of all odd, Bhaichung becomes the torch bearer for coming generation. He has shown the path to football to all Indian. After retirement also he is being actively involved in devlopment of sports in India. I want to say A Big Thank You to Bhaichung. A True Legend.

[Vipul Kane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a bit disappointed with this book. I expected a lot more insights into the life of my favourite Indian footballer. Also, I felt the content could have been better arranged. It was quite clear that the book was written by someone from Kolkata, which highlighted a bit of the 1980s mentality which is still prominent there.

[Harshad Udayakumar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating-2.5/5