New Delhi: As India played Jamaica and went down 0-2 in London as part of the Unity Cup, Abneet Bharti sat over 10,000 kms away in La Paz, Bolivia. Instead of potentially taking the pitch and forming the defensive line, the centre-back is on the mend after an accident.The 27-year-old, who joined Academia del Balompie Boliviano in March 2025, was struck on his right side by a drunk driver while cycling. The horrendous crash shattered his wrist and affected his mobility for life, forcing him to undergo surgery. With two screws in his wrist, Bharti has to be extra careful about his movement. For the next three or four weeks, he’s been advised against running and cannot train for the next 10 weeks.“There’s nothing I can do. I can focus on getting back and training as much as I can. When I do get the opportunity, I can be in the best condition,” he told TimesofIndia.com over a phone call.Even though he’s taking the blow in stride, Bharti has been denied the opportunity to possibly play in the Unity Cup and the friendlies against Tajikistan on June 5 and June 9. In November last year, the Kathmandu-born player received his maiden call-up for the AFC Asian Cup Qualifier against Bangladesh, but with limited time before an important league fixture, the club denied him the chance to make the long journey.Ahead of another qualifier in March, against Hong Kong, Bharti was on his way to Kochi, only to be told that he would need an NOC from the Nepalese football federation to represent India. While the bureaucratic wheels turned in the background, the footballer — who played youth football in Delhi — underwent two sessions only to be told that the process wasn’t working out.“I was on the flight to Sao Paolo — there’s a flight connection — then to Doha, and I get a message that, ‘I need this NOC’, and I’m already on the way. They basically needed some clearance from the Nepal Federation about my birth certificate.
Abneet Bharti travelled from Bolivia to Kochi, India, but was unable to step on to the pitch. (Instagram)
“I arrived in Kochi I trained for two days. The federation (AIFF) applied, and apparently, AFC said that it’s not going to happen this fast. So my club said, ‘Okay, then we’d rather have you back for the last preparation week because the season’s going to start.“So I trained there [Kochi] for two days. I had a good time, but it was too short. The first day I landed at night, and the next morning I trained, so I don’t even remember what happened. My head was still on the other side of the planet! The next day I trained, and then I left so it was more basically travelling instead of really doing anything,” he rued.To sum up, Bharti travelled a distance of over 17,000 kilometres, putting himself through a time difference of nine-and-a-half hours, only to return without picking up his first cap. Yet, he’s willing to put himself through that all over again if he gets to play for India one day.
I expected I would see more things from a national team set-up. I expected more professionalism, but that is not my area. My area is to play
Abneet Bharti
“Since I played football, my dream was to get a call-up, so when I first got it, of course, it was a dream come true. I have always considered myself Indian, but I was surprised because I expected I would see more things from a national team set-up. I expected more professionalism, but that’s not my area. My area is to play. If someone asks me to play, I’m a professional footballer, so I have to just perform.“I had positive talks with the coach (Khalid Jamil), he felt it was too little time. He wanted to see me in a game, in a friendly or practice game. After that, I got injured. The next step would be to compete again and get the next opportunity. When it comes,” he continued.PIO/OCI holders playing for India
Abneet Bharti trained with the Indian team in Kochi ahead of qualifier against Hong Kong. (Instagram)
Even before Australia-born Ryan Williams gave up his citizenship to represent India, conversations around allowing Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) had been doing the rounds. With Indian laws prohibiting dual citizenship and sports laws allowing only citizens to play for India, plenty of athletes are being denied the opportunity to compete for the tricolour.Bharti, who has already faced the brunt of the system, says, “I think that the best players should play for the country. The best players from India should go if the OCI players are eligible. If not, the best eligible players should play.”“I mean, Ryan is a fantastic player. If you have that advantage, then you use that.”“But someone has to compromise: either the government relaxes the rules or the player gives up their passport. It is not ideal to lose a stronger passport, but if you really want it, you can give up your passport. Ryan has shown that it’s possible,” said the defender who has an Indian passport and was called up for the India U-16 team in 2015.A globe trottering footballer
Abneet Bharti currently plays for Academia del Balompié Boliviano in La Paz, Bolivia. (Instagram)
Bharti was introduced to the sport in Nigeria, before moving to various locations: India, Singapore, Spain, Portugal, Poland, the Czech Republic, Kyrgyzstan, Argentina and now Bolivia.It has shaped how he embraces different cultures, considering he’s able to speak Hindi, English, Spanish and Portuguese. What is lesser of a challenge, he feels, is learning the language on the pitch: football.“In the end, it’s football. It’s the same sport. For me, I don’t think that is much different. Of course, learning the language is difficult. But, in the end, it’s the same sport. You see many foreigners playing. You find players from all nationalities everywhere. You can find, for example, a Brazilian player playing in Papua New Guinea. It’s a very global sport. Every year, it’s getting more global,” he acknowledged.
Abneet Bharti’s football journey has taken him through Europe and now in South America. (Instagram)
Even though the game is going global, the style varies from region to region. He finds European football to be more tactically aware. Indian football has players who run and press tightly. But it is South American football where he feels every game, in any division, is “war” with high intensity.Unlike many other South American clubs, Bharti has yet to encounter a serious run-in with a fan. The closest it came was when he was in Argentina, and a couple of fans arrived at their training facility demanding answers after a string of bad games. After the local mayor stepped in, things calmed down. Still, Bharti finds the region produces the most breathtaking environment, terming it a “party.”For Bharti, the ‘party’ will continue, but the journey has been delayed following the unfortunate incident. Until then, he and his India ambitions will have to wait.
