In The 17-Member Indian Football Team For The Asian Games, Sunil Chhetri Is The Only Well-Known Player; Stimac’s Status Is Unknown

In the 17-person Indian team at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, Sunil Chhetri was the sole famous participant.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has finally assembled a second-tier team, but the presence of head coach Igor Stimac remains a major mystery. Veteran striker Sunil Chhetri was the lone prominent player in the 17-member Indian squad for the Hangzhou Asian Games. Given that the Asian Games’ football tournament schedule conflicts with the ISL, which debuts on September 21, the majority of clubs have demonstrated a reluctance to release the 22 players nominated in the Indian team.

But after protracted and intense negotiations, the AIFF was able to name an under-strength team that had nine of the initial 22 players, including Chhetri, while the remaining players were inexperienced club players. The Indian Super League teams and the FSDL were congratulated by the national federation for “coordinating with it for the release of players,” which helped the squad come together barely three days before its flight to China.

The Indian squad along with sunil chhetri

Gurmeet Singh, Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem, Sumit Rathi, Narender Gahlot, Amarjit Singh Kiyam, Samuel James, Rahul KP, Abdul Rabeeh Anjukandan, Ayush Dev Chhetri, Bryce Miranda, Azfar Noorani, Rahim Ali, Vincy Bareto, Sunil Chhetri, Rohit Danu, Gurkirat Singh, Aniket Jadhav.

A Synopsis of Sunil Chhetri’s Biography

Sunil Chhetri is a forward-playing professional footballer from India who also serves as captain of Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League. He is revered as the best Indian player of all time and is known for his leadership, teamwork, and link-up play.

Only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have scored more goals for their respective countries than he does. With 84 goals in 131 games to date, he is also the man with the most caps and best goalscorer for the India national team overall.

Early Life

On August 3, 1984, Sunil Chhetri was born in Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh (now Telangana), India. His father served in the Indian Army, and his parents, K.B. Chhetri and Sushila Chhetri, are of Nepali descent. Chhetri spent the most of his youth roaming between several Indian cities as a result of his father’s work.

Chhetri developed a liking for football at an early age and began taking it seriously throughout his school years. He played for the school team while attending Bahai School in Gangtok, Sikkim, when he caught the attention of scouts from other football teams.

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Chhetri relocated to New Delhi at the age of 17 to enroll at the renowned Tata Football Academy, which has turned out many of India’s finest football players.

Club Career

In 2002, Sunil Chhetri signed a contract with Mohun Bagan AC, a team headquartered in Kolkata. He participated in three seasons of club play, making 24 games and scoring 14 goals. Chhetri relocated to Punjab-based JCT FC in 2005. He contributed to the squad for three seasons, making 48 games and scoring 21 goals. In 2008, Chhetri joined East Bengal FC, another team situated in Kolkata. He contributed to the squad for two seasons, making 48 games and scoring 27 goals.

When he joined with the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer in 2010, he became the third player from the Indian subcontinent to play overseas. He only appeared once before leaving for India.

In 2013, Chhetri signed with Bengaluru FC, where he is still a member now. He contributed to the team’s victories in the I-League in 2013–14, 2015–16, and 2016–17 as well as the Indian Super League in 2018–19. In 208 appearances for the team, he has totaled 101 goals.

International Career

In 2005, against Pakistan in Quetta, Sunil Chhetri made his national team debut for India.

Chhetri scored two goals in his maiden international competition, the 2007 Nehru Cup, which saw India overcome Cambodia 6-0. Chhetri was a key factor in India winning the Nehru Cup. He finished the competition with four goals, earning him the title of Player of the Tournament.

In the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup, which India won, Sunil Chhetri scored the most goals. He finished with eight goals overall, including two against Tajikistan in the championship game. He was also named the competition’s player of the year.

Chhetri was crucial to India’s ability to compete in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. In the competition, he scored three goals, including a brace against Thailand, but India was unable to advance past the group stage.

India won the 2011 South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship, earning Chhetri the title of player of the competition. He has three goals in the competition.

Chhetri scored twice on June 10, 2018, as India defeated Kenya 2-0 to claim the Intercontinental Cup. With eight goals, he was the tournament’s leading scorer.With four goals in the third round of the qualifications, Chettri became the top scorer for India and helped the country qualify for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. With 84 goals in 131 appearances, he presently ranks third among active international goal scorers, after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Records

• First Indian player to have played in three different continents
• Most goals by an Indian in AFC Competitions
• Most hat-tricks by an Indian in Indian Super League
• First Indian player to score hat-trick in Indian Super League
• Highest Indian goal scorer in Indian Super League
• Highest Indian goal scorer in I-League
• AIFF Player of the Year for a record seven times
• Most hat-tricks for India
• Most appearances for India
• Highest international goals by an Indian
• First Footballer to receive Khel Ratna Award

Awards and Achievements

Personal Life

Sunil Chhetri likes to watch movies, listen to music, and read books. He also enjoys tennis and cricket a lot. Chhetri participates in a number of humanitarian endeavors. He promotes education and has given to a number of Indian institutions and universities. Sunil Chhetri supports the cause of encouraging sports for those with disabilities and serves as an ambassador for the Special Olympics.

Net Worth

The Indian footballer’s net worth is USD $1 million as of 2023.

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