Sukhwinder should continue as coach

Indian Football captain Bhaichung Bhutia today said that chief coach Sukhwinder Singh should be allowed to continue for a longer time as he had the capability of raising the standard of Indian football.

''He (Sukhwinder Singh) has brought about some consistency. He has inculcated the spirit to fight among the players. The boys are very comfortable with him'', Bhutia told reporters here shortly after arriving from Bangalore where India played their last pre-World Cup qualifying match against Brunei.

He said that the Indians had shown a significant improvement in all departments of the game under Sukhwinder Singh's tenure and the existing panel of coaches should not bedisturbed in the best interest of Indian football.

''We played well in all the matches of the tournament. With a little bit of luck, we could have improved our position on the points table'', the diminutive Indian captain remarked.

The Indians, who spanked lowly Brunei 5-0 in their last Asian Zone Group-8 pre-World Cup qualifying match in Bangalore yesterday, finished third on the points table though they finished their engagements with 11 points alongwith Yemen. Yemen took the second spot by virtue of a better goal difference. Bhutia, however, said that there was still room for a lot of improvement and the players should keep working hard to produce the desired results at the international level.

The Indian captain said that the presence of the experienced Basudeb Mondal, who was dropped from the team for the tournament, could have proved quite handy.

''Basudeb is an experienced player. His presence could have made a difference. But then, you have to play with the team you have'', Bhutia explained.

Bhutia, who returned to the city after a gap of almost one year, said that he had no plans for signing for any of the big clubs in Kolkata at the moment and would concentrate on improving his game as a player for second division English club Bury FC.

''Right now, I have no plans for playing for any of the clubs here. I will return to England and continue playing for Bury FC'', he said.

Bhutia, the first Indian to play for a professional club outside the country, said that his stint with Bury FC had taught him a lot and had improved his fitness level considerably.

Bhutia will spend a couple of days in the city before going to his home town in Sikkim to spend time with his family.