Scary crash, setbacks and wait: Abneet Bharti struggles but keeps Indian dream alive

Abneet Bharti first earned an invitation to India last year and traveled to India this year ahead of the Hong Kong match. (Instagram) New Delhi: While India played Jamaica and lost 0-2 in London in the Unity Cup, Abneet Bharti was sitting over 10,000 km away in La Paz, Bolivia. Instead of potentially taking the field and forming a defensive line, the center back is recovering from an accident.The 27-year-old, who joined the Academia del Balompie Boliviano in March 2025, was hit in the right side by a drunk driver while riding a bicycle. The horrific collision shattered his wrist and affected his mobility for life, forcing him to undergo surgery. With two screws in her wrist, Bharti has to be very careful about her movement. He has been advised not to run for the next three or four weeks and cannot train for the next 10 weeks.“Nothing can be done. I can focus on coming back and training as much as possible. When I get the chance, I can be at my best,” he told TimesofIndia.com after a phone call.Although Bharti is taking the blow in stride, he has been denied the opportunity to play in the Unity Cup and friendlies against Tajikistan on June 5 and June 9. In November last year, the Kathmandu-born player was called up for the first time for the AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh, but with limited time before the crucial league game, the club denied him the chance to make the long journey.Ahead of the next qualifier against Hong Kong in March, Bharti was on his way to Kochi only to be told he would need a NOC from the Nepal Football Federation to represent India. As the bureaucratic wheels turned in the background, the footballer – who played youth football in Delhi – sat through two sessions only to be told the process was not working.“I was on a flight to Sao Paolo – there’s a flight connection – then to Doha and I get a message saying ‘I need this NOC’ and I’m on my way. Basically they needed some permission from the Nepalese federation for my birth certificate.”

Abneet Bharti traveled from Bolivia to Kochi, India but was unable to enter the field. (Instagram)

“I came to Kochi, I trained for two days. The federation (AIFF) came in and obviously the AFC said it’s not going to happen that quickly. So my club said, ‘OK, then we’d better have you back for the last week of training because the season is starting.’“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 left, so it was more like traveling instead of doing anything,” he fumed.To recap, Bharti covered a distance of more than 17,000 kilometers, taking a time difference of nine and a half hours to return without taking his first cap. Still, he is willing to undergo it all again if one day he plays for India.

I expected to see more things from the national team. I expected more professionalism, but that’s not my area. My area is to play

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“Ever since I played football, it was my dream to get called up, so when I got it for the first time, of course it was a dream come true. I always considered myself an Indian, but I was surprised because I expected to see more things from the 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, then I’m a professional footballer.“I had positive talks with the coach (Khalid Jamil), he felt there was too little time. He wanted to see me in a match, a friendly or a training match. Then I got injured. The next step would be to compete again and get another opportunity. When it comes,” he continued.PIO/OCI holders play for India

Abneet Bharti trained with the Indian team in Kochi ahead of the qualifier against Hong Kong. (Instagram)

Even before Australian-born Ryan Williams renounced his citizenship to represent India, talks of allowing Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) were doing the rounds. Due to India’s laws banning dual citizenship and sports laws allowing only citizens to play for India, many athletes are denied the opportunity to compete for the tricolor.Bharti, who has already faced the onslaught of the system, says, “I think the best players should play for the country. The best players from India should go if they are OCI eligible players. If not, the best should play.”“I mean, Ryan is a fantastic player. If you have that advantage, then use it.”“But someone has to make a compromise: either the government relaxes the rules or the player gives up his passport. It’s not ideal to lose a stronger passport, but if you really want to, you can give up your passport. Ryan has shown that it can be done,” said the defender, who holds an Indian passport and was called up to India’s U-16 team in 2015.World football player

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 places: India, Singapore, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Czech Republic, Kyrgyzstan, Argentina and now Bolivia.It has shaped how he embraces different cultures, given that he is able to speak Hindi, English, Spanish and Portuguese. What he says is less of a challenge is learning the language of the field: football.“At the end of the day, it’s football. It’s the same sport. I don’t think it’s much different. Of course it’s hard to learn the language. But at the end of the day, it’s the same sport. You see a lot of foreigners playing. You can find players of all nationalities everywhere. For example, you can recognize a Brazilian playing in Papua New Guinea. It’s a much more global sport every year.”

Abneet Bharti’s football journey has taken him through Europe and now South America. (Instagram)

Even though the game is becoming global, the style varies from region to region. According to him, European football is more tactically aware. Indian football has players who run and press hard. But it is South American football where every match, in any division, feels a “war” with high intensity.Unlike many other South American clubs, Bharti have yet to encounter a serious clash with a fan. The closest he came was when he was in Argentina and several fans arrived at their training facility demanding answers after a run of bad games. After the intervention of the local mayor, everything calmed down. Still, Bharti finds this area creates the most breathtaking environment and calls it “the party”.For Bharti, the ‘party’ will continue but the journey has been delayed after an unfortunate incident. Until then, he and his Indian ambitions will have to wait.