‘Once Sunil Chhetri made his debut vs Pakan, he finally felt like football was going to be his life’: Father Kharga writes | Football News

It was never clear whether Sunil would play professional football. Even the day he joined Mohun Bagan, there were some uncertainties in our minds. Football in those days, even today, wasn’t really regarded as a career. At the same time, we were trying to get him into the National Defence Academy (NDA) or even St Stephens College in Delhi on a sports quota. As parents, we were interested in his academic career rather than him taking up football.
I’m from an army background so wanting him to join defence was my first preference. I was on the verge of retirement; my daughter was studying in college. Sunil was only 17 at that time.
For him to lead a football career was never in my mind and I was quite apprehensive because I’ve seen so many players getting injured seriously and then having to leave the sport. Even after leaving Bagan after three years and joining JCT, initially, he wasn’t very happy. At the time he used to still consider taking his NDA exam. He was there in Punjab with his books while playing in the league for JCT.
But it was once he got into the Indian team, played under Sukhwinder Singh and made his debut against Pakan that he finally felt like this was going to be his life from now on.
When he was in Pakan, he called me from the hotel and he sounded so excited. We were scared because he was in a different land and things back then were different. He would assure us on the phone that there was no need to worry and that there was good security at the hotel.
Indian national football team captain Sunil Chhetri and other players during a practice session ahead of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers match against Kuwait. (PTI)
After Sunil returned from the match, he was so much clearer about football being his career. He enjoyed the atmosphere of being in the Indian team, he had the support of his seniors who took care of him. He was given the love he needed then to choose this life.
Sunil had the image of a jolly good fellow for the national team for a while. He would have this image of being reckless, but open to everyone. He used to joke around and all, but once he was made the captain of the national team in 2012, a series of changes came about. I think a lot of it also had to do with the international exposure he started getting.
He went for a training session at a Premier League club and he suddenly realised what kind of footballer he needed to be. It wasn’t easy or fancy over there, but he inculcated everything that he saw there. He realised how tough football was and how he couldn’t take it lightly. That knowledge he got in England, and later when he joined Kansas City Wizards, all changed him and made him a different person.
In Kansas, it was a different ballgame. His return from the USA was merely because he was homesick. Bob Houghton too wanted to have a long coaching camp with Indian players for the AFC Asian Cup, so he chose to come back to India. Every player at Kansas trained on their own, and were from different countries. He found it tough without friends and family.
Once Sunil returned to India, Bengaluru FC happened. I was in Darjeeling with my mother at the time. Earlier, there used to be a club in Bengaluru but this was JSW coming up with a new football club. He told me about it. It was a new idea and I was apprehensive because he was a senior player and the club was completely new. But with younger players and some foreigners, Bengaluru did so well. They went on to win the I-League in their first season itself and that made me believe that they would reach such great heights.

When he was still at Bengaluru and playing for India, there was a time when not many people showed up to watch the national team play in Mumbai. When he saw those empty stands even after India won that day, he made that passionate callout. He put a video out that went globally viral. At the time, it was a spontaneous act Sunil – one that surprised me quite a bit because of how viral it became.
And of course, as a family, we had to be there for him at that moment so we immediately flew down to Mumbai to be there at the match. His appeal was appealing to his parents as well. As his father, I had already decided to go but when I saw the support that came from his video, it made me feel proud.
Frankly speaking, we never thought he would play this long. Even when he hit 100 matches for the national team, we were very happy. Now his 150th appearance has happened and it’s phenomenal the way he has brought himself up and maintained his longevity. His discipline, his training, his off-field, and on-field behaviour – everything was so meticulous about him. He knew that those mental and physical capabilities were important to continue playing at the top level for so long.

We will be there in Kolkata for the match against Kuwait. I don’t think he’ll be carried away the emotions of the moment. Once he’s on the field, I think he’ll play the match normally like he does. We are so fortunate that Sunil has reached where he has reached and we are so happy.
When I see him, I will tell him to play this match as if it’s his last.
(As told to Shashank Nair)