Time corrodes peak athletic performance more than anything else. The sight of athletes attempting to reconcile with their ageing bodies while also striving to maintain the appearance of immortality that previously surrounded their careers is among the most agonising things to witness, and it gives diehard fans that sinking sense. Read on to know more about the ace Indian footballer Sunil Chhetri.
Venus Williams, 43, a five-time Wimbledon singles winner, gave a compelling recent example when she bravely took a tumble and fought valiantly against Elina Svitolina in the opening round of The Championships before losing in straight sets.
Sunil Chhetri, who will shortly turn 39, was proving to be a huge bulwark against such a march of time just 24 hours later in distant India. In a span of four days, he had recently finished playing two draining football games that each lasted more than 120 minutes. He led India to its ninth SAFF Championship victory in the process, and the trophy was also his country’s second in less than a month.
Indian footballer Sunil Chhetri:
Chhetri won the accolades for both best player and highest goal scorer during the campaign, contributing to five of India’s eight goals. He produced fearless, exemplary penalty kicks that put India on the right track in the semifinal and championship shootout victories over Lebanon and Kuwait. He then performed the Viking thunderclap exercises, completed laps of honour, and was again lifted into the air by his jubilant colleagues. Chhetri had here to explore a brand-new wonderful universe, just like Alice had in her Adventures.
When Bengaluru FC (BFC) was founded in 2013 and Chhetri was selected as the club’s star signing, Pradhyum Reddy, who was the assistant coach at the time, claimed that professionalism is what makes Chhetri tick. The speaker states, “He puts forth more effort than anyone else at the club. He uses that as an incentive to advance every time the team signs a younger player.”
He further adds, “He has done it in every way, including the way he takes care of himself, his diet, his sleep, his workouts, and his off-season work. In addition, he has a higher level of mental preparation than the majority of Indian football players. He can compete at this level because of that.”
Accolades:
It is safe to say that Chhetri is the lifeblood of both his team and his nation. He has won the Indian Super League (ISL), Super Cup, and Federation Cup once each in his ten years with BFC. He has also won the I-League twice. Moreover, he may have lost his first XI spot during the past two seasons, starting just 26 of BFC’s 40 ISL games, but he is still the go-to player in crucial situations. He scored three of BFC’s five goals in the 2022–23 ISL playoffs, all of which came after he was substituted on, en way to the championship.
He scored 92 goals in 142 games for India, which places him fourth all-time after Lionel Messi (103), Ali Daei (109) of Iran, and Cristiano Ronaldo (123). Also, he has also played on teams that won three Nehru Cups and four SAFF Championships. The standards of the footballing level Chhetri has been playing at could be contested. But when given the chance to play for teams abroad, such as Sporting Lisbon ‘B’ (Portugal) and Kansas City Wizards (USA), Chhetri accepted the challenge without hesitation.
It’s difficult to tell how much of that knowledge the people around him have absorbed. Although real, the role-model impact is challenging to measure. However, their first-hand accounts of having Chhetri in the group and by their side, both on and off the pitch can be instructive.
Talent & Hard Work:
Chhetri’s physical fitness may be the main factor in his ability to achieve what he is. Modern footballers are expected to make far more high-intensity runs than their predecessors participate in defensive duties by bombing up and down the pitch, and have the strength to outmuscle opponents in one-on-one encounters, so it is necessary to be in absolute peak shape almost always.
Chhetri, whose professional career began after the year 2000, has adjusted his thinking to achieve all of this and more. The talisman made the position his own when Ashley Westwood, BFC’s first manager, switched him from his normal position up top to a more challenging left-sided duty. Chhetri is once again leading the charge as head coach Igor Stimac’s modern philosophy and dedication to full-throttle football grip the Indian national squad.
So, this was all about the ace Indian footballer Sunil Chhetri. Also read, Check out! Top best sports for girls in India.
