IANS

New Delhi, Aug 23: Football skipper Bhaichung Bhutia, who will make his 100th international appearance when India play Kyrgyzstan in the ONGC Nehru Cup on Sunday, will be felicitated by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) before the match.

AIFF acting President Praful Patel will also formally felicitate Bhaichung on Aug 30, the federation said in a statement.

Congratulating Bhutia on achieving the important milestone, Patel also praised his commitment towards the game and hoped that the striker will continue to serve India till at least the Asian Cup in 2011.

AIFF General Secretary, Alberto Colaco said: "For over a decade Bhaichung has been the mainstay of the Indian national team. He has performed brilliantly as a player and also has been a great leader of the team. Rightly he is called the icon of Indian football."

Indian national coach Bob Houghton added, "He is an outstanding player and despite having a stardom he has always been friendly to the players. It is important to have such a good and disciplined player who is also a good leader."