Another history of sorts was made at the Tilak Maidan in Vasco on Tuesday. Goa’s Churchill Brothers drew 1-1 with Mohun Bagan to win the I-League. The guiding force behind Churchill’s triumph is Subhas Bhowmick, the former East Bengal player and coach. With this success, he becomes the first coach to guide two teams to the biggest title in India football, having won the League with East Bengal earlier.
Bhowmick is a unique link between the football traditions of Bengal and Goa. While footballers from the two states travel from the country’s west to east to ply their trade, their coaches seldom make the trip. In that sense, Bhowmick is a rare man from Bengal, who has taken up the challenge of coaching a Goan team.
Bhowmick, Churchill’s Technical Director, has played a big hand in Churchill’s victory, their second one after 2008-09. Bhowmick admitted that initially, he never believed his team would become the champion.
“Football is a team game and everyone must share the workload sincerely. If they give their best, results will follow. You need to instill a belief in players. We must sink or sail together. To me my players are more important than anyone else,” said Bhowmick. “The league was very competitive. There were at least three teams which could have won the title,” he said. “But as a coach, you want to do well at the higher levels. Winning the ASEAN Cup for East Bengal was my biggest achievement. I dream of helping an Indian club win the AFC Cup. It is very tough but not impossible.”
“I am very happy we are champions again. Every time we are ahead, 1996 comes to haunt me. Nine points clear and we lost the title. Fortunately, we have won it now with a game to spare. Full credit to the players and to the coaching staff, especially Bhowmick, whose has proved to be invaluable for us,” said Churchill Alemao, the eldest of the five Alemao brothers, from whom the team derives its name.