Indian players not ambitious enough, says Bhutia

Ace Indian footballer Bhaichung Bhutia on Thursday said Indian players are not ambitious enough to play for clubs abroad and the situation can only change if they got more overseas exposure.

"There could be a variety of reasons why Indian players are not ambitious enough to play for clubs abroad. You have to have that inner feeling that you want to go out," Bhutia told reporters in Calcutta.

Participating in a meet-the-press programme, organised by the Calcutta Sports Journalists Club, Bhutia said lack of exposure could have dissuaded many talented players from venturing out.

The lone Indian to play for a professional club abroad said the poor performance of the Indian team in international tournaments could have served as a big discouragement to players.

However, the 25-year-old India captain refused to lay the blame on the players alone for the decline in standards in the country, saying a professional set-up has to be in place to bring about the desired results.

"You can't blame the players alone. The game has to be marketed and promoted better; we need professional people to really do that. We need to develop the infrastructure," he said.