Bhaichung Bhutia to feature in AFC awareness campaign on COVID-19

The former Indian Football Team skipper is among the several top players from the continent selected for the video series.

Bhaichung Bhutia will feature in the Asian Football Confederation’s awareness campaign on the COVID-19 pandemic. It is designed to be named #BreakTheChain and will play host to several prominent Asian players. These players would be sharing the preventive measures issued by the World Health Organization. Additionally, they would also convey some inspiring messages through these videos.

The AFC issued a statement that read, “The #BreakTheChain campaign features some of Asia's finest from all across the Continent, such as 2018 AFC Women's Player of the Year, Wang Shuang from China PR, Indian legend Bhaichung Bhutia and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors' and 2016 AFC Champions League winner Lee Dong-gook with several other big names poised to join the series in the upcoming instalments.”

Numerous other remarkable footballers and even coaches are set to join this campaign, namely: Australian forward Adam Taggart, Saudi Arabia’s Yaseer Al Qahtani and Hong Kong’s Chan Yeun Ting. The objective of the awareness drive would broadly include promoting the guidelines issued by the healthcare bodies. It will also reiterate the importance of social distancing in the present situation and would ask people to stay put at their respective homes for the time being.

Bhaichung Bhutia has a significant role from an Indian football perspective as he is still revered as the individual who put the country’s name on the continental stage in the sport. He played for India for almost 16 years, spanning from 1996-2002. At the same time, he also played for a variety of clubs and emerged as the nation’s topmost name in the sport. He was inducted in the Asian Football Hall of Fame by the AFC in 2014.

Earlier this week, Sunil Chhetri was chosen amongst the 28 past and present footballers to be a part of the FIFA-WHO awareness campaign to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The aims of both FIFA’s and AFC’s remain to be fairly similar.