He went on his first date riding an auto. His love for biryani landed him in embarrassment when he indulged in anticipation that he would not be making his international debut the next day. He is known as the MSD of Indian football. The word ‘sacrifice’ associated with professional sportspersons is not an appropriate one for him. He thinks staying away from temptations is part of their job.
That, and a lot more, were the takeaways from Farewell Sunil — a tribute to Sunil Chhetri before his final international appearance on June 6 — organised by RevSportz, in association with Federal Bank, Shrachi Sports and itel, the official smart phone partner of this multi-sport platform. A packed house at the Calcutta Sports Journalists’ Club on Monday listened with rapt attention to the views and anecdotes shared by Indian football legend Bhaskar Ganguly, Dipendu Biswas, Syed Rahim Nabi and Mehtab Hossain.
Journalist Dulal Dey of Sangbad Pratidin moderated the session and came up with some less-known facts about India’s most successful striker ever, who will say goodbye to the national jersey after the World Cup qualifier against Kuwait at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. He was accompanied by Soumyajit Das Chowdhury of RevSportz.
Dey revealed that Chhetri is regarded as the MS Dhoni of Indian football. His IQ levels are unusually high, according to his teammates. His judgement is always correct. He can’t be contacted over phone unless he chooses. He would have retired earlier, had India not qualified for the main round of the Asian Cup (played in January-February 2024).
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A seasoned reporter with an endless collection of Indian football stories, Dey disclosed that when Chhetri first went to meet Sonam (Mohun Bagan legend Subrata Bhattacharya’s daughter) at their house, the vehicle was an auto rickshaw. Bhattacharya’s family was not amused. “Their eventual son-in-law drives an Audi these days,” said Dey.
A chubby-faced boy when he made his debut in the top-flight of club football in Kolkata, Chhetri wore the shirts of both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. The former footballers on stage were unanimous in saying that the striker with 94 international goals took a wise decision when he decided to test himself away from the city of the traditional giants.
That was a serious statement from the quartet, who represented India with distinction and played all their football for Mohun Bagan, Mohammedan Sporting and East Bengal. “He was a transformed player after that. Everything changed, from attitude to diet to discipline. Lesser pressure outside Kolkata helped him,” said Nabi, Chhetri’s roommate before a U-20 match in Karachi in 2004. They had biryani, thinking they were not going to be in the team. Both debuted the next day.
It was a crisp hour of freewheeling chat on one of Indian football’s foremost flag-bearers. The audience included many familiar with the Kolkata maidan and its ways. Even for them, the stories narrated were revealing. Footballers, football observers and the game’s biggest assets –the fans — coming together made the session interesting.
Praising Chhetri for observing DDDA (discipline, dedication, determination, ambition) throughout his career, Ganguly made a startling comment. He said Chhetri shouldn’t extend his club career further. “His performance has raised expectations to unprecedented heights. Retiring is tough and he made it look easy when it comes to playing for India. My request is he should soon quit club football. That will be a fitting end to a glorious career.”
If that had something to do with appetite for playing football, Biswas spoke of that of the other kind. Footballers are mostly youngsters who work out hard. That may lead to a craving for food and then it becomes easy to fall for fare sportspersons should avoid. Everybody knows that. But still, not many are able to resist the temptation.
“He had a fondness for sweets,” revealed Biswas. “We all did and sometimes we succumbed. I don’t remember him giving in, after the initial years. That’s why we are here discussing a person pushing 40s who has played 150 matches for India over 19 years. The number of international goals he has scored is only behind Ronaldo and Messi! There is a reason for that. Knowing what’s not good and not doing it for years sets Sunil apart, on many counts.”
While everybody spoke about this remarkable footballer’s hunger and desire to surpass himself and the existing standards, Hossain pointed at what clicked for Chhetri, the goal getter. “He wasn’t that successful as a central striker. It started working for him when he pushed himself to the far left. It may not work for everyone. For him, it did. He scored many goals, cutting in from that side unmarked.”
Many sides of the leaving legend were discussed at this session followed by questions from journalists. Possible successor was a recurring question without a definite answer. Boria Majumdar, the Editor of RevSportz, concluded the show with a pertinent quote from one of his conversations with Chhetri. “He said he is leaving behind a better dressing room.”
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