Our next target is to perform in the pre-World Cup

Kolkata, Aug 30 (UNI) Fresh from the maiden Nehru Cup victory, Indian soccer skipper Baichung Bhutia now targets an improved show in the pre-World Cup matches.

''Our next target is pre-World Cup matches and I am confident that Indian team will put up a better performance than what they did in earlier years,'' Bhutia said today.

Rating chief coach Bob Houghton as the best coach that he had trained with, Bhutia said, ''I had worked under a lot of coaches at the club, state and national levels, but Houghton is the best. He is way above the rest.'' Bhutia asserted that there was no dearth of soccer talents in the country but the need of the hour was to nurture them properly. ''We have to harness them properly. We need a proper infrastructure and then I am confident we will do well and once again become the best in Asia,'' he said.

Bhutia termed the Nehru Cup victory as a 'dream come true' and his most ''cherished'' cup in his long career. Bhutia has earlier cornered LG cup, SAFF cup and the Asean cup glory.

There are several Baichungs on the anvil and the players like Steven Dias, Subrota Paul, Syed Rahim Nabi and Sunil Chetri were extremely talented.

''With the new system in place I think it will not be a problem to get new Bhaichungs. We have a good thing going now,'' he said.

He did not forget to mention that he was enjoying his game and had no plans to hang up his boots.

UNI