Legendary former Indian national team captain Baichung Bhutia has been officially inducted to the AFC Hall of Fame during the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) 60th Anniversary and Annual Awards gala event in Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, on Sunday.

“It is an honour to be accepting this award not on my behalf, but for football, for India and for all Indian footballers who have to struggle against all odds to prove themselves every single day,” Baichung told at the gala.

“When I first started playing football as a child I never imagined where the game would take me. As I moved up through the various stages of my playing career – a teenager with East Bengal to captaining the national team – I had to face obstacles at every single step of the journey. But I loved the game so I stuck to it and every challenge I faced only made me push harder.”

“I know most Indian players today still face many of the same challenges I did and this award is for the passion and dedication that makes them continue to play the game. I wish to share this award with my fellow Indian footballers, past, present and future.”

A total of ten players were inducted to the AFC Hall of Fame during the gala event. Iranian legends Homayoun Bhezadi and Ali Daei, Japanese duo Yasuhiko Okudera and Homare Sawa as well as Saudi Arabia star Sami Al Jaber, Malaysia’s Dato’ Soh Chin Aun, Sun Wen from China, Korea Republic’s Hong Myung-bo and Australia’s Harry Kewell and India’s very own Baichung Bhutia were all recognised for their services to Asian football.