Pint-sized star of Indian football

By T.N. Raghu

Male, Maldives

June 10: For someone who was not serious about a career in football even at the age of 17, Sunil Chhetri has come a long way. Delhi-based Chhetri is now a regular striker for India. Despite falling well short of 6 feet, the ideal height required to be a successful forward in the rough and tumble of modern football, the terrier-like star has cemented his place in the national team with his fighting spirit and prodigious jump.

"I did not have plans of become a professional footballer. I was good at studies so I was thinking about following my father’s footsteps into the Army. My football-loving parents gave me the freedom to choose my career. The turning point was an international school tournament when I was in Class XII. I did very will in the tournament scoring five goals. I followed it up with a decent show for a Delhi Club in the 2003 Durand Cup. When I got a call from Mohun Bagan Academy, it was a dream move which I couldn’t refuse," he informs.

He still cherishes the three years he spent with the Kolkata giants. "My friends warned me that Bagan had many prominent names and I would not get a chance to play. Bagan coach Subrato Bhattacharya, however, gave me ample opportunities to prove my talent. I had a great time in Kolkata before joining JCT. My well-wishers were not happy about the JCT move as well. But I took an instinctive decision and in the end my JCT tenure turned out to be equally good. Looking for a new challenge, I have now signed for East Bengal. I cannot wait to start my second stint in Kolkata," Chhetri adds.

The pint-sized forward says his initial doubts about a career in football have vanished now. "You get decent money in professional football these days. It’s getting better every year. I have no regrets. The thrill of representing India is unmatched. I want to play as many matches as possible for India.," he says.

Chhetri never gives up on the field. The way he chases lost causes was evident in a friendly against Chinese Taipei recently. Pushed by a Taipei defender, Chhetri fell awkwardly on the dug-up athletic track at the Nehru Stadium. His fell so heavily that the Indian bench rose up in fear of a serious injury to a key player ahead of the SAFF Cup. To everybody’s surprise, Chhetri was on his feet immediately and he started running towards the ball. This never-say-die incident sums up his personality.