Team India: Baichung visits dressing room, Koevermans' Thank you!

India started their 2012 Nehru Cup campaign with a 2-1 victory against Syria at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium last night. Post-match the squad received a visitor in the dressing room, who as recently as January 2012 in his farewell match against Bayern Munich had led Team India onto the field - Baichung Bhutia.

Still it is an unfamiliar sight to see Team India play and Baichung Bhutia sitting in the VVIP gallery in a formal suit instead of being on the field with his football gear, but time moves on and a new Team India is currently in the making without Baichung, Mahesh, Deepak, Samir, Climax, Renedy and many more...

Baichung after the match took the stairs down to the dressing room to congratulate Sunil Chhetri and his team. The ice-bath was on by then; some hadn't even freshened themselves up. Caring little for his formal suit, Baichung embraced all one by one. The gesture touched everyone. After all, that's what separates the man from others. Bhai is still a player at heart.

The second gentleman was also in a formal suit, but on Wednesday, Wim Koevermans stepped into the Team India Dressing Room for the first time ahead of an official match. Post-match Koevermans is no more the visitor but an integral part of the Dressing Room. In fact, he is the 'Dressing Room'.

With Syria conquered almost an hour back, the ice bath completed, the post-match press conference done and even the customary prayer, Wim Koevermans took a forward step. "Before we leave, I want to say something to you all," Koevermans uttered. The boys looked up.

Three seconds of pin drop silence. "Thank You!" Koevermans broke it. The clapping was spontaneous and loud. It had to be. The boys left the dressing room and walked towards the Team Bus – an old path but a new walk.

Many new faces, a new coach stressing on a new style which promises much and a strong camaraderie among all – this is a new-age Indian Football Team.

Back at the Dressing Room, Baichung and Koevermans had shook hands – both appreciated the other. "I'm proud of my boys. They adjusted fast and implemented the strategies on the field," Koevermans maintained. "It's hard to pick up any single individual as far as the Syria match is concerned. It was a team effort."

'Team Effort' stays the buzz in the Camp. "When you win, you cannot bask in the glory for long. In the same manner, when you have a bad Tournament, you ought to forget it fast and move on. Under Wim's guidance, we are taking that forward step," Captain Sunil Chhetri informs.

The broad grin on Wim Koevermans becomes broader. A visitor till the other day, the Dutch is at present the Indian 'Dressing Room'. The players are looking looking up to him with expectations.

A new chapter in Indian football was started yesterday and one hopes for many more such memorable evenings to come...