Baichung Bhutia is an Indian international footballer, the “Sikkimese Sniper”, considered the torchbearer of Indian football in the international arena. He has played in Europe and Asia, and was capped for India more than 100 times before retiring from international football in 2011. He is a staunch supporter of His Holiness and the Tibetan cause. In 2008 he was the first Indian athlete to boycott Beijing’s Olympic torch relay in support of Tibet.