Bhaichung Bhutia backs OCI players for short-term boost, says women's team closer to FIFA World Cup

Former India football captain Bhaichung Bhutia has backed the inclusion of Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) players as a short-term measure to strengthen the national football team, while emphasising that long-term success depends on sustained investment in grassroots development.

Speaking on the issue, Bhutia said bringing in quality OCI players competing in strong overseas leagues could improve the team's performance, provided they are genuinely better than the players already available in India.

"It would definitely help in the short term. If you can bring in high-quality players competing in strong leagues, that can certainly improve the team. However, simply selecting OCI players isn't enough. They must genuinely be better than the players already available in India," he said.

Bhutia stressed that India cannot rely solely on OCI players and must continue nurturing homegrown talent through grassroots football programmes.

"In the long run, India still needs to invest heavily in developing its own footballers," he said.

The former striker also expressed optimism about India's women's football team, saying it has a stronger chance of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup than the men's team.

"I think India's women's team has a better chance of qualifying than the men's team, but we need much greater investment in women's football," Bhutia added.