SSC
Who was the first Indian footballer to play 100 international matches?
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Answer: Option D — Bhaichung Bhutia
Detailed Solution
Bhaichung Bhutia, the former captain of the Indian national football team, was the first Indian footballer to play 100 international matches for India. He retired from international football in 2011 after 104 appearances (according to AIFF records), in which he scored about 40 goals.
More about Bhaichung Bhutia:
- He was born on 15 December 1976 in Tinkitam, Sikkim.
- He was nicknamed the "Sikkimese Sniper" for his finishing ability as a striker.
- In 1999, he joined the English club Bury FC, becoming one of the first Indian footballers to play professionally in Europe (after Mohammed Salim in the 1930s).
- He played for Indian clubs such as East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, JCT and Salgaocar.
He captained India to wins in the Nehru Cup (2007 and 2009), the SAFF Championship and the AFC Challenge Cup (2008). The 2008 win took India to the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, its first Asian Cup in 24 years.
He received the Arjuna Award (1998) and the Padma Shri (2008).
A stadium in Namchi, Sikkim, is named after him.
Sunil Chhetri:
Sunil Chhetri later became India's most capped player (over 150 matches) and highest goal scorer (95 goals), and is one of the highest international goal scorers among active players. He retired in 2024 but returned to the national team in 2025.
Other Indian football legends:
- M. Vijayan: a striker from Kerala, known as the "Black Pearl of Indian football"; received the Padma Shri in 2025.
- Climax Lawrence: a midfielder from Goa who played in the 2000s.
- K. Banerjee and Chuni Goswami: stars of the 1962 Asian Games gold team.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Sunil Chhetri reached 100 caps later, in 2018.
- ✗M. Vijayan played about 70-80 international matches.
- ✗Climax Lawrence played fewer than 100 matches.
Quick tip
Remember: First Indian to play 100 internationals = Bhaichung Bhutia ("Sikkimese Sniper", Bury FC 1999); Sunil Chhetri = most caps and goals (95); I. M. Vijayan = "Black Pearl".
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Sports — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Sports, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers sports GK: major tournaments and their venues, trophies and cups associated with each sport, sports terms, the number of players in a team, sports awards in India, Olympic and Asian Games facts, and famous sportspersons and their achievements. Common questions ask which sport a trophy belongs to (such as the Durand Cup for football or the Ranji Trophy for cricket), which term is used in which sport, and where a tournament was held. Records and results change after every season, so pair static facts such as team sizes and terms with recent results from current affairs. Practise the sports questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.