Unheralded Gyeltshen lives his dream by guiding underdogs through incredible title run
A few months before the start of the 2017-18 I-League season, Chencho Gyeltshen was looking for an opportunity. Desperate to get out of Bhutan in order to showcase his football skills to a larger audience, the 21-year-old was seeking greener pastures in a country closest to home: India.
However, Bhutan's highest goal-scorer and the lone professional footballer generated little excitement among the big I-League clubs.
And not even his nickname in his country worked for him initially.
Gyeltshen is called 'The Ronaldo of Bhutan' or 'CG7' back home. Partly because he idolises the Portuguese and partly because he copies CR7's style of celebrating after scoring a goal.
Minerva Punjab, meanwhile, were looking to shake things up after a disastrous maiden I-League season, where they escaped relegation thanks only to a superior head-to-head record against wooden-spooners Mumbai FC.
They needed a strike force, they needed someone others could rally around, they needed an X-factor.
It was a perfect match. Gyeltshen found his Real Madrid, Minerva found their Ronaldo.
The Bhutanese striker has been one of the primary factors in the Chandigarh-based club scripting another Aizawl-like chapter in Indian football and clinching the I-League title in just their second season on Thursday.
Gyeltshen smashed seven goals in his 18 outings for Minerva including a brace against Mohun Bagan, becoming the third-highest scorer in the league this season and being the torch-bearer of the young outfit throughout their incredible run.
"Finally, our dreams came true," Gyeltshen told DNA on Friday, a day after Minerva pocketed the I-League title. "We had set a goal at the start of the season: to be the champions."
It wasn't his lone dream, though.
Ever since he chose football over marital arts and athletics, Gyeltshen wanted to make a name for himself as well as for his tiny Buddhist kingdom in a foreign land.
After first turning up for Yeedzin FC in the Bhutan National League in 2008, Gyeltshen played for a few low-key clubs in Thailand and Chittagong, but Minerva was his biggest breakthrough moment. One that he wanted to make it count for himself as well as the people who saw a future in him in Bhutan.
"I had a very big dream when I started my career, and so did all the Bhutanese people who have seen me play back home. I always wanted to go and play in India, because both the I-League and ISL (Indian Super League) are very popular in Bhutan," Gyeltshen said.
"It was my dream to play in I-League or the ISL, and to come back as a champion of the tournament," he added.
He will indeed go back as a champion, and it won't be far-fetched to foresee a hero's welcome for him the moment Gyeltshen lands in Bhutan.
"People back home are really, really happy. Everyone is very excited to meet me, and they can't wait for me to be back home. Even I am eager to go back home and meet my beautiful fans who have always cheered for me," he said.
A man of few words, the shy Gyeltshen's decibel levels go up a few notches when he is asked about the origin of his nickname.
"I'm just a big fan of Ronaldo. I always follow Ronaldo's road. I'm inspired by what he does on the field and the amount of hard work he puts off it.
"Plus, every time I scored a goal, I used to celebrate like Ronaldo. So, that made people in Bhutan call me Ronaldo," he said, adding that he will continue celebrating like CR7 for the rest of his career.
Gyeltshen isn't certain whether he'll be back at Minerva next season, for there might be bigger and better clubs eyeing his services now. But he is sure about one thing.
"Signing up for Minerva was a great thing to happen to my career. I'm really happy being a champion of the I-League," he said.
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