Sunil Chhetri Produces A Masterclass Despite His Age And Health Issues

‘Immortal No. 11’ was written on a huge banner that was hung from the West Block Blues Stand. The crowd gave Sunil Chhetri a passionate homage and applauded each move the Indian skipper made on the field. When India defeated Pakistan 4-0 in the SAFF Championship game at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, several of them repeatedly invaded the field in an attempt to get closer to Sunil Chhetri. What then makes Chhetri a popular figure? He is 38 years old when athletes typically consider adopting less demanding careers than football and adhere to strict training regimens.

His on-field performance, though, still bears no relation to his age. In the Intercontinental Cup final last Saturday in Odisha, India defeated Lebanon, a side higher in the FIFA rankings, 2-0, and Chhetri’s opening strike put the squad on the winning path.

The situation remained the same on a wet Wednesday in Bengaluru. Chhetri could not have missed the impression that the entire stadium’s patrons wanted nothing less than a victory.

Chhetri’s desire to rule the main stage may have been fueled in part by the ongoing India vs. Pakistan conflict. He had let us see a glimpse of that emotion inside of him.

When we saw the boys before the Pakistan match, everything was OK. Even when I visited Pakistan once or twice, everyone there was pleasant and welcoming. When the whistle blows, I’m not sure what occurs because they and we both speak Punjabi, Chettri had said in an ISL video.

It’s just the sense of anyone other than them by default. Maybe it’s ingrained in our Indian culture, and I have a feeling they will agree. He continued the hostility and the fact that we don’t want to lose to them entering the picture.

Hanif erred in clearing the ball after becoming alarmed by Chhetri’s sudden rush towards him, and the Indian needed no further encouragement to take advantage of the opportunity that was now his.

The two subsequent penalty kicks might have been a walk in the park for someone with Chhetri’s abilities. Numerous lock-screen and home screen backgrounds will include that image for some time to come. Thousands of mobile cameras in the stands opened their eyes to capture that Chhetri moment.

But despite scoring a hat trick, he didn’t come off as arrogant. He analyzed the entire situation logically and without hyperbole. Perhaps it was the only time that night that his age was apparent.

“I’m even happier that we managed to keep a spotless record; that was our first goal, and I’m glad to be back at the fortress (Kanteerava Stadium, where BFC plays in the ISL).

However, scoring goals in international football is difficult no matter where you play or who you play. We know where we need to improve, but we still have a lot to do because the games after this will be challenging,” Chhetri remarked following the encounter against Pakistan.

That perfectionism-driven attention is downright terrifying. How long can Chhetri go down that demanding path at the age of 38? Chhetri will eventually have to retire into the inevitable sunset that awaits all athletes, and we are hearing a lot of names like Ishan Pandita as potential successors.

But we’ll get to that later. Let’s enjoy this daydreaming journey with Chhetri for the moment!

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