Kharga Chhetri, father of Sunil Chhetri, India football captain, had no idea that his son would post a retirement video the night before. The entire family was very emotional when it surfaced on X (formerly Twitter). An ex-army man, Kharga took his 17-year-old son to Kolkata for a trial with the Mohun Bagan club in 2002. The rest is history. Sunil will play his last match for the Blue Tigers against Kuwait at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan on June 6. An emotional Kharga spoke to RevSportz about his son’s decision. Here are the excerpts:
Did the family know that Sunil will be retiring?
Yes, if I remember, a few days back, there was a discussion about how long he will be playing for India. We have not been visiting any stadiums to watch his matches of late, either in Guwahati or Kolkata or elsewhere in the country. So, it was in our mind that the day is not very far. But we had absolutely no idea about the video message he posted on Twitter. In fact, I called him the day before and chatted for a few minutes, but he did not give any hint about his decision.
Were you surprised to see Sunil’s video message on Twitter?
I follow him on Twitter, so I got a notification. I got a bit surprised, as well as emotional. I did not call him as I could realise his mindset. He has already joined his teammates in Bhubaneswar.
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🚨EXCLUSIVE:
“Of course, we will go to witness his last game in National colors in Kolkata” – @chhetrikharga, Sunil Chhetri’s father, speaks on the unforeseen announcement of his son.@ShrachiSports @debasissen @chetrisunil11 #SunilChhetri #SC11 #IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/0BGzezO1Jh
— RevSportz (@RevSportz) May 16, 2024
Back in 2002, you brought him to Kolkata to play for Mohun Bagan. It has been 22 years. Tell us about his journey?
It was a very emotional moment for the family, especially his mother, his wife, sister, and my mother. I am also very emotional today when I look back at 2002, when I took him to Kolkata for a trial at Mohun Bagan. A journey of 22 years. I still remember, in 2004, he was picked for the U-23 Indian team. The match was against Pakistan in Pakistan. There was no looking back for him after that. The next year, he made his senior India debut against the same opponent. I do not know how time has passed. The best part is the way he has carried himself forward.
Do you think you played a big role in your son’s discipline?
As an army man, we all think some sort of discipline is inculcated in your children. He has shown tremendous discipline, both on and off field. The way he exhibited himself was very surprising for me. It was his hard work and dedication that has seen him achieve all the success so far. It is a brilliant journey, and we are all very proud.
Any best moment watching your son on the field?
All those 150 matches he (Sunil) played for the country are special for all of us. It will be difficult to single out one. I still remember, ahead of the Intercontinental [Cup] matches in Mumbai in 2018, when he appealed to the fans to come to the stadium in numbers to cheer for the Indian football team. It was a special tournament for him.
Also Read: It is a perfect decision, says Subrata Bhattacharya on Sunil Chhetri announcing his retirement