阿三弟总是很有情趣
India soccer captain Bhaichung Bhutia insists his dancing days are behind hi
m but the club he 'neglected' to appear on a celebrity television show is no
w telling him to face the music.
Mohun Bagan handed the 32-year-old striker a six-month ban after he missed t
raining to feature in the dance competition, domestic media reported on Tues
day.
Bhutia and his female partner won the show but he maintains he has no plans
to hang up his boots and don dancing shoes full time. "We saw Bhaichung negl
ecting his duties towards the club for a long time. So we have decided to su
spend him for six months," Mohun Bagan club vice president Subrata Mukherjee
told reporters.
The suspension would prevent Bhutia, seen as key to India's hopes of a good
showing at the 2011 Asian Cup, from signing for another club.
"He did not take anybody's permission before participating in the dance prog
ramme, he is a registered player and cannot act in this manner.
"This is a message only to show that nobody is above the club," Mukherjee wa
s quoted as saying in Kolkata daily The Telegraph.
Local media had suggested Bhutia had wanted to join Bagan's fierce Kolkata r
ivals East Bengal but Mukherjee denied he would be released from his contrac
t, which still has a year to run.
"We don't want to talk about releasing Bhaichung," he added. "According to o
ur contract, he will continue as a Bagan player till 2010." (Reporting by N.
Ananthanarayanan; Editing by Peter Rutherford; To query or comment on this s
tory email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com) (anantha.narayanan@thomsonreut
ers.com; +91 11 4178 1022; Reuters Messaging: anantha.narayanan.reuters.com@
reuters.net. For the Reuters sports blog Left Field go to:
http://blogs.reuters.com/sport/))
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