NEW DELHI: As India played Jamaica and lost 0-2 in London as part of the Unity Cup, the Indians sat more than 10,000 km away in Bolivia’s La Paz. Rather than possibly taking the pitch and forming a defensive line, the centre-back is recovering from an accident.The 27-year-old, who joined the Academia del Balompie Boliviano in March 2025, was hit from the right side by a drunk driver while cycling. The horrific accident shattered his wrist and affected his mobility for the rest of his life, forcing him to undergo surgery. With two screws in his wrist, Bharti has to be more careful about his movements. He has been advised against running for the next three or four weeks and cannot train for the next 10 weeks.“I can’t do anything. I can focus as much as possible on coming back and training. When I get a chance, I can be in the best shape,” he told TimesofIndia.com over a phone call.Although he is recovering quickly, the Indian is likely to be ruled out of the Unity Cup and friendly matches against Tajikistan on June 5 and 9. In November last year, the Kathmandu-born player received his first call-up for an AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh, but with limited time before a crucial league match, the club refused to allow him to make the long journey.Ahead of another qualifier against Hong Kong in March, the Indians were heading to Kochi, only to be informed that they would need an NOC from the Nepali Football Federation to represent India. While the wheels of bureaucracy churned in the background, the footballer — who used to play youth football in Delhi — took only two sessions to show that the process was not working.“I was on a flight to Sao Paulo — there’s a flight connection — then to Doha, and I got a message saying ‘I need this NOC’, and I’m already on my way. They basically required some approval from Nepal Federation about my birth certificate.
Ibneet Bharti traveled from Bolivia to Kochi, India, but could not step on the pitch. (Instagram)
“I got to Kochi, I trained for two days. The federation (AIFF) applied, and apparently, the AFC said it’s not going to happen that soon. So my club said, ‘OK, then we’d like to bring you back for the final preparation week because the season is about to start.’“So I trained there. [Kochi] for two days. I had a good time, but it was too little. 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 I left so it was basically traveling rather than really doing anything,” he lamented.In essence, Bharti covered more than 17,000 km, putting himself through a nine-and-a-half-hour time difference, only to return without picking up his first cap. Nevertheless, he is ready to throw himself back into it if he gets to play for India one day.
I was hoping to see more from the national team setup. I expected more professionalism, but this is not my area. My area is to play.
Native Indian
“Ever since I played football, it was my dream to get a call-up, so when I got it for the first time, it was definitely a dream come true. I always considered myself an Indian, but I was surprised because I expected to see more from the national team setup. I expected more professionalism, but that’s not my area. My area is to play. If someone asks me to play, I’m a professional just to perform football.“I had a positive conversation with the coach (Khalid Jameel), he felt it was a short time. He wanted to see me in a game, a friendly or a practice game. After that, I got injured. The next step is to compete again and get the next opportunity. When it comes,” he continued.PIO/OCI holders playing for India.
Ibneet 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, there were discussions about Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO). With Indian laws banning dual citizenship and sports rules only allowing nationals to play for India, many athletes are being denied the chance to compete for the tricolor.“I think the best players should play for the country. India’s best players should go if the OCI players are eligible. If not, then the best eligible players should play,” says Bharti, who has already experienced the breakdown of the system.“I mean, Ryan is a fantastic player. If you have that advantage, you use it.”“But one has to compromise: either the government relaxes the rules or the player gives up his passport. Losing a strong passport is not ideal, but if you really want to, you can give up your passport. Ryan has shown that it is possible,” said the defender, who holds an Indian passport and was called up to the India Under-16 team in 2015.A footballer who travels around the world
Ibneet Bharti currently plays for the Academia del Balompi Boliviano in La Paz, Bolivia. (Instagram)
Bharti was introduced to the game in Nigeria, before moving on to India, Singapore, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Czech Republic, Kyrgyzstan, Argentina and now Bolivia.This has shaped how he adapts to different cultures considering he can speak Hindi, English, Spanish and Portuguese. What’s less of a challenge, he feels, is learning the language on the pitch: soccer.“In the end, it’s soccer. It’s the same game. For me, I don’t think it’s much different. Of course, it’s hard to learn the language. But, in the end, it’s the same game. You see a lot of foreigners playing. You get players of all nationalities everywhere. For example, you can see a player from Brazil playing at the world level every year in Papua New Guinea. Global,” he admitted.
Ibneet Bharti’s football journey has taken him to Europe and now to South America. (Instagram)
Although the game is going global, its style varies from region to region. He found European football more tactically aware. Indian football has players who run and press hard. But it is South American football where he feels that every game, in any division, is a “battle” of the utmost intensity.Unlike many other South American clubs, Bharti have yet to have a serious run-in with the fan base. The closest it came was when he was in Argentina, and some fans turned up at his training facility demanding answers. Things calmed down after the local mayor stepped in. Still, Bharti found the atmosphere the most breathtaking in the region, calling it a “party”.The ‘party’ will continue for Bharti, but the trip is delayed after this unfortunate incident. Until then, he and his India ambitions will have to wait.
