Nirmal Chettri is a product of 'Search for more Baichung's scheme' © ISLBaichung Bhutia is synonymous with Sikkim. The Indian footballing icon has brought phenomenal fame to his native state thanks to his goal scoring exploits for the nation’s top clubs and the ‘Blue Tigers’. Till recently, the ‘Sikkimese sniper’ was India’s all-time leading goal scorer with 42 goals, a record that was broken just this year by Sunil Chhetri.But in 1998, the government of Sikkim realised that they had nobody good enough to follow in the legend’s footsteps. In such circumstances was born the campaign called “Search for more Baichung Bhutias”, the brainchild of Karma Yougyal, the then deputy director, Department of Sports and Youth Affairs. The scheme received the enthusiastic support of Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling. Coaches were sent to all corners of the state to select promising under-14 players and 30 of the most promising players were relocated to the Namchi Sports Hostel (NSH) where the boys were rigorously trained in football as well provided with a good education.That the scheme has succeeded beyond measure can be gauged by the fact that two of its most famous alumni Sanju Pradhan and Nirmal Chettri went on to play for some of India’s leading clubs and also got picked for the national team. The duo will also figure in the upcoming Hero Indian Super League even as Bhutia watches approvingly from the sidelines.Winger Pradhan, who will turn out for Atletico de Kolkata, was one of the first players to get selected by the scheme at the age of 12. “I spent six years at the hostel. We received good basic training and that was the most integral part of growing as a player,” Pradhan recalled.“Wearing the national colour is a big thing by itself but playing with my idol Baichung bhai in his testimonial match (India versus Bayern Munich at New Delhi in January 2012) was really the biggest moment in my life.”Nirmal Chettri, Kerala Blasters FCAfter spending six valuable years at NSH, the batch moved to the Sikkim Sports Academy in Gangtok. Playing in the local All India Governor’s Goal Cup, he scored a really good goal against Air-India whose coach Bimal Ghosh handed him a professional contract with the airmen and hauled him off to Mumbai.Defender Chettri, who was picked by Kerala Blasters, also graduated from the NSH, a year after Pradhan, and was also brought to Mumbai by Ghosh, to whom he is really grateful. Ghosh played him as stopper back but now he shines in the right back role. The versatile defender is ready to play wherever mentor Trevor Morgan, who is with the Blasters, wants him to play and is looking forward to the opportunity and challenge of the ISL.Asked what his biggest moment in football was, the 23-year-old Chettri replied, “Wearing the national colour is a big thing by itself but playing with my idol Baichung bhai in his testimonial match (India versus Bayern Munich at New Delhi in January 2012) was really the biggest moment in my life.”Bhutia himself is generally pleased at the progress of the scheme. “The academy can do slightly better but if it is producing players like Nirmal and Sanju, I think it is on the right track,” he said. Amen to that!