Indian Football Icon Sunil Chhetri Set to Retire After Glorious Two-Decade Career
Posted by admin on 2024-05-17 |
Sunil Chhetri, the Indian football legend,
announced on Thursday his intention to retire from international football
following the FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Kuwait in Kolkata on June
6, marking the conclusion of a remarkable two-decade career. The esteemed
national team captain shared his decision through a video posted across his
social media platforms.
Family Reactions and Emotional Reflections
“When I did decide that this is going to be
my last game, I told my family about it. Dad was normal. He was relieved,
happy, everything. It was my wife, strangely. I told her. ‘You always used to
bug me that there are too many games, there’s too much of pressure. Now I am
telling you that I’m not going to play for my country anymore after this game.’
Even they couldn’t tell me why there were tears. It’s not that I was feeling
tired, not that I was feeling this or that. When the instinct came that this
should be my last game, I thought about it a lot, eventually I came to this
decision. Will I be sad after this? Of course! Do I feel sad sometimes everyday
because of this? Yes!”
Sunil Chhetri added in the video. “Do I feel
like I’ll miss the train and there’s just 20 days of training? Yes. It took
time because the kid inside me never wants to stop given a chance to play for
his country. I have practically lived the dream. Nothing comes close to playing
for the country. So the kid kept fighting. But the mature inside knew it that
this was it. It wasn’t easy,”
Acknowledging Fan Support
Sunil Chhetri admitted before adding: “Every
training that I do with the national team, I’m just going to enjoy it. I don’t
feel that pressure. The game demands pressure. Against Kuwait, we need the
three points to qualify for the third round. But in a strange way, I don’t feel
the pressure.”
“I’ll say something controversial. I don’t
think I know any player has received ad more love, affection and adulation from
the fans in our country than me. A lot of times people talk about highest
scorer, this or that, but the one thing that I think I’ve really got the best
of, and I was really pampered is the love and affection I got. It’s time for
our country to see the next Number 9,” Sunil Chhetri added.
Milestone Achievements and Legacy
Chhetri had made his 150th appearance for
India in March and scored on the occasion against Afghanistan in Guwahati.
India, though, lost that game 1-2.
Chhetri, who made his debut in 2005, has
scored 94 goals for the country. He will leave the scene as India's all-time
top scorer and most-capped player. He is also third in the list of goal scorers
among active players behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
