Former East Bengal, Mohun Bagan coach is now a professional regatta player

Kolkata, Jan 10: Former India international footballer Biswajit Bhattacharya has taken up a new challenge. The veteran footballer will pursue a career in Regatta.

All leagues special site

Bhattacharya who had also coached both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan and Bengal team in the senior national football championship, Santosh Trophy, is all set to start a new innings.

This time it will not be as a coach, rather Bhattacharya will start a new career as a rowing player. He has been practicing rowing under coach Ashish Chowdhury at the lCalcutta Rowing Club.

Bhattacharya is going to take part in the Asian Club Championship, starting in Chennai this week. The other participating clubs in the tournament are from Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, Japan and Indonesia.

Bhattacharya will don Calcutta Rowing Club shirts in the tournament. Asked about the reason behind choosing such an unusual game, Bhattacharya said: “I broke my shin bone in 1987 during a game. Then I could not take the shot. I felt huge pain.

"Even while coaching, I tried to push the ball slowly but that time also I had the similar pain. My doctor advised me to generate strength in the muscle.

"I began to play golf. Still, I did not find any solution of my injured leg. Then following my friend Ashish Chowdhury who is a regatta coach, I started practicing regatta. Now after having practiced it for last one and half months, I feel I have found the solution."

The former East Bengal coach looks serious about the tournament and said: “For the last couple of weeks my partner in the championship, coach Ashish Chowdhury is giving me a lot of confidence, saying that I would be able to succeed also in this game.

"I know one thing that I have never avoided a challenge in my life. This time also, I am confident to take up the new challenge."

OneIndia News