New Delhi, May 16 (IANS) The loss of Sunil Chhetri is not one that can be described in words. Following the announcement of his impending retirement, the sports fraternity has come alive to pay their tributes to one of the best to ever grace the pitch.
Chhetri, who is known for his calm, composure and maturity both on and off the pitch, features that another former Indian captain is well known for. Former India football captain IM Vijayan has compared the 39-year-old with ‘Captain Cool’ MS Dhoni.
“I consider Chhetri a great player, a terrific motivator, and an ideal captain. He is like MS Dhoni, who has excelled both as a player and a captain. The kind of discipline Chhetri maintained throughout his career has made him a role model.
“I tell youngsters like Sahal Abdul Samad and Ashique Kuruniyan to follow Chhetri’s lifestyle if they wish to prolong their careers. It will take some time before we get another footballer like Sunil Chhetri in India,” Vijayan was quoted as saying by AIFF.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah, too, lavished praise on Chhetri, stating, “@chetrisunil11, one of India’s most decorated footballers, has announced his retirement from international football. Your dedication and passion have been an inspiration to millions. As a pioneer of Indian football, you’ve not only achieved remarkable success but also elevated the sport in our country. Wishing you all the best in your future endeavors!”
Chhetri will don the Blue Tigers jersey one final time as he walks out on the pitch at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata against Kuwait in a must win FIFA WC Joint Qualifier on June 6. The match is of great significance as the venue is the most iconic football ground in the country and holds a lot of history having seen the best of Indian footballing moments.
Meanwhile, AIFF acting general secretary M Satyanarayan, said, “It would be an understatement to say that Sunil Chhetri’s retirement will be a big loss for Indian Football. We have seen the dedication with which he has played for both club and country.
“Even at the age of 39, he is one of the fittest players on the pitch. Right now, the only thing that we can do is look back on his glorious career and celebrate it. We certainly hope that he will do the job for the nation one last time on June 6, but whatever the result may be, he will certainly go down as one of the legends of Indian Football. I would like to sincerely thank him for his massive contribution to Indian Football,” he added.
–IANS
aaa/
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by TodayIndia.news and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of TodayIndia.news We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, TodayIndia.news takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.