Bhubaneswar, May 29: Low profile, committed, extremely skilful, team-man to the core, astute leader, big match player, crisis manager, soccer legend with magic-legs and so on.
Adjectives, adulations and thanksgiving words are sure to fall short, when we talk about Indian football captain and a player in a generation Sunil Chhetri's contributions to the game.
The little genius, after years of hard work on the field has finally decided to quit international football. Many of his former and current teammates and Indian soccer lovers have gone on record saying they just never wished to see him retire.
That's love, appreciations and regards for Chhetri, the soccer icon, the never say no Indian footballer. Even several sports persons from other fields, have extended their appreciations for Chhetri's contributions to the game.
The entire footballing fraternity is counting the days till June 6 when Chettri will be donning the Blue Tigers jersey for the final time against Kuwait at Salt Lake Stadium.
Chhetri announced his retirement in an emotional nine-minute-long video posted on social media on May 16.
Chhetri took to Instagram to share his thoughts and mindset heading into his final game. “These last few days, I’ve been caught in a bit of a dilemma. Now that there’s a number to my days with the national team, what’s the right route to take - do I count every day, every training session? Or do I simply turn up without the thought of how this is coming to an end?” read the post by the Indian skipper.
“Over time, I seemed to have found middle ground. They say, count your blessings. And every single day I get to be on the pitch is a blessing that I’ve never taken for granted. So I’ve decided to count my sessions, but with a deep sense of gratitude. There’s no apprehension. Instead, there’s a feeling of being indebted to the sport, to my team, that I get to do this.
If I could, I would capture this feeling in a box. Or instead, I’ll take it to my next training session,” it further added.
India vs Kuwait will be the national team’s all time top scorers final game for the country and will be hoping to end his glorious international career on a high. It is a must win game for the country if they are to progress to the next round of the FIFA WC Qualifiers as they face a dominant force in Qatar in their final game of the stage on June 11.
Chhetri announced his retirement in an emotional nine minute long video posted on social media on May 16.
The Blue Tigers national team is currently in the training camp in Bhubaneswar getting ready for the two critical matches.
His impact on the game that has spanned for nearly two decades has seen his fandom spread across the country. The game against Kuwait at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata will be an emotional encounter as India will bid farewell to its most loyal servant.
Sunil Chhetri is hard to replace. But he too is human and has to take a break. Soccer fans and football lovers can only wish Chhetri all the best for his rest of life. (With IANS support)
