Pele was true King, God for us: Bhutia

Emotional tributes poured in from all quarters in memory of legendary Pele with Indian football icon Bhaichun Bhutia remembering the ‘black pearl’ as the ”true king” of the game while for legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar there won’t be another like him. One of the greatest of all time and the only footballer to have won three World Cups, Pele died at the age of 82 after a prolonged battle with colon cancer. Bhutia had the opportunity to interview Pele during his last visit to India in 2018. ”I had an opportunity to interview him for a summit talk in Delhi. He was such a wonderful, down to earth person, spoke to me close to 40 minutes,” Bhutia recalled in an interaction with PTI. ”The conversation was more on football, his life and a bit on Indian football. He had a great sense of humour. I asked him about his India trip, but he could not remember where and which city he played and what was the outcome. Because of the age, alright.” ”He was a true king and God for us. He was such a humble, soft person. Definitely, it’s a big, big loss for football and the fraternity. ”He is one of the greatest players cum administrators we had. He was such a great role model on and off the field. He inspired millions and millions.” That was his last visit to India, which happened three years after he was felicitated in Kolkata and then attended the Subroto Cup Inter-School final in the capital. ”First time he was fit, but on the second time he came in a wheelchair,” Bhutia added. Tendulkar also remembered the legacy of Pele. ”A great loss to not just football but to the whole world of sports. There will never be another! Your legacy will live on forever. Rest in Peace Pele!,” Tendulkar wrote on his twitter handle. The football-mad city of Kolkata watched Pele in action in 1977 when he played against Mohun Bagan in an exhibition match which happened to be his penultimate outing. Football fever had reached a crescendo as Pele was given a hero’s welcome at the airport a