Sunil Chhetri vows to elevate Indian football post-retirement

INDIAN football icon Sunil Chhetri might have ended his international career, but he cares about the team and said he would do everything in his power to take the country to the “promised land”.

Speaking at a function attended by the country’s president Droupadi Murmu, who flagged off the trophy tour of the Durand Cup football tournament, Chhetri said he believed India would one day reach the highest levels of the sport.

“I have experienced a lot of ups and downs in my career, but one thing is constant – that one day, we will reach the level which all of us have dreamed of,” said Chhetri, who retired from international football last month after breaking a plethora of national records.

Chhetri will continue to play in the Indian Super League (ISL) as his contract with Bengaluru FC runs till next year. He is yet to decide when he will quit domestic football.

“I can’t do much now as I am retired but I will do everything I can to take India to that promised land. We have a lot to work for, but we will be at that place we want to be,” Chhetri, who turns 40 next month, said.

Chhetri was talking about Indian football’s future at a time when the game in the country has been in a state of turmoil for the past few weeks. The team failed to qualify for the third round of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, leading to the sacking of coach Igor Stimac.

He had said during his playing days that instead of thinking about when India would qualify for the World Cup, the country should first hope to be among the top 20 in Asia and then move up to the top 10, before taking a final shot at the fouryear showpiece.

During Chhetri’s 19-year-long career, India has been in the top 20 in Asia but not in the top 10. Currently, the country is in 22nd place in Asia and 124th in the world, a steep drop in one year.

In July 2023, India had entered the top 100 in the FIFA rankings following their Intercontinental Cup and SAFF Championship victories.

Talking about the Durand Cup, which begins in Kolkata next Saturday (27), Chhetri recalled how he was “discovered” and came into the national spotlight after playing in the century-old tournament in 2002 for Delhi club City FC.

“I was discovered when I was playing for a Delhi club. This is not just a tournament. There is a lot of tradition and history of Indian football associated with it,” said Chhetri, who led Bengaluru FC to the Durand Cup title win in 2022.

“The Durand Cup is the springboard of many talented players in this country,” said the former captain of Asia’s oldest – and the world’s fifth oldest – tournament which was first held in Shimla in 1888.

Chhetri was named one of the five promising players of the 2002 edition of the Durand Cup held in Delhi. He was spotted by Mohun Bagan during the tournament, who called him to Kolkata for the trials.