Bijay Chhetri, the Chennaiyin FC defender, has embarked on a historic journey as he joins Colon Football Club, a Segunda (second) division team in Uruguay, on loan until the end of the year. This move marks a historic milestone, as Bijay becomes the first Indian footballer to secure a contract with a Latin American club, opening new horizons for Indian talent in international football.
Colon, a prestigious 116-year-old professional football institution based in Montevideo, currently competes in the second tier. Bijay’s loan deal includes an option for Colon FC to make the signing permanent, reflecting the club’s confidence in his abilities.
Vita Dani, Chennaiyin FC co-owner, expressed her happiness at Bijay’s move. She commented: “We are extremely proud to see Bijay make his way to one of the world’s biggest football nations. Uruguay are forever etched in the game’s history, with four stars on their chest as winners of two Olympic gold medals in 1924 and 1928, the first World Cup in 1930 and then repeating in Brazil in 1950. And Colon Futbol Club are part of that heritage; founded even before the first World Cup. I wish Bijay the very best and we are all hoping for his success as he makes history as the first Indian player to secure a contract with a Latin American club.”
Bijay expressed his excitement and gratitude for the opportunity to embark on this new challenge in his professional career.
While he has yet to feature for Chennaiyin FC in the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL) season, he brings a wealth of experience from his time with I-League clubs Sreenidi Deccan FC and Real Kashmir FC. Additionally, Bijay was the youth product of the Indian Arrows.
Bijay’s brother, Ajay Chhetri, who plays for East Bengal FC, recently made headlines when he scored against their arch-rivals in the Kolkata derby.
Marcelo Rifas, director of Colon Futbol Club, said, “When Bijay’s profile was proposed to us, looking at his videos from the past, his profile and our internal references, we got more and more confident of the player. Now, we sincerely hope he can come at the earliest and get integrated into our team. We see him as a solid first team player for us. It also helps us open a line of sourcing players from a new marketplace.”
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