Indian football captain Bhaichung Bhutia has been nominated for civilian honour Padma Shri for his outstanding contribution to sport in the country.
"I have come to know that I have been nominated for Padma Shri," Bhutia told PTI on Wednesday.
But he refused to react to the development, saying his name is still only at the nomination stage.
"I am just feeling normal. My name is only at the nomination stage now and the list is still to be finalised by the Sports Ministry," he said.
Padma awards are bestowed on persons with outstanding achievements.
If Bhutia's name gets the green signal, the 1998 Arjuna Awardee will become the fifth Indian footballer after Gostho Behari Paul (1962), Sailen Manna (1971), Chuni Goswami (1983) and PK Banerjee (1990) to receive the honour.