Sunil Chhetri’s exit will leave a deep vacuum in Indian football
The last of the Titans of Indian football, Sunil Chhetri, has finally decided to take a bow. For 19 years, this 39-year-old has toiled for his country, distinguished himself on the field, and earned a special place for himself in the history of Indian football. Indeed, as long as he was in the national squad, the focus always centred on him, either to see him get a goal or place a goal-bound pass for one of his colleagues to do the finishing job. Rarely did he disappoint, and that explained his achievement of not just being the most capped Indian footballer with 150 appearances, but with 94 goals to his credit, Chhetri placed his name just behind the legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the list of leading goal scorers for their respective countries! Undoubtedly, he will leave a rich legacy, and this is a big one, but who is going to be inspired by his deeds?
Nothing signified this great man’s sense of presence and aura more than the view of this innocent 14-year-old sports enthusiast, a football fan in fact, whom I had met at a private function. The youngster, when prodded on, came up with a stunning knowledge of European football, backing it up with the names of players from leading teams and whatnot! After his enthusiastic presentation, I asked him about India. "In Indian football, I have heard of only Chhetri, Sunil Chhetri, and nothing else!” What better-telling commentary then of the current Indian football’s visibility and general state of affairs than this! The genuine question now is who will succeed Chhetri, and it is difficult to determine if there will be an appropriate answer in the near future unless things take a dramatic turnaround!
Ironically, at a time when generally the talk in the country is all about the continuing improvement of standards in sports with new achievements throwing up frequently, we do not get to say much about Indian football. With the focus on the Paris Olympics, we have seen how in many sporting disciplines like shooting, wrestling, table tennis, and the like, enthusiastic qualifications are being backed by a positive outlook on achieving a mark. Sporting disciplines that way have been able to magnify their profiles, like athletics, for instance, where defending Olympic Champion Neeraj Chopra has proved the adage that ‘we too can do it’. Expectedly, he is the inspirational figure going around, and there is so much positivity around him. Indian football that way has never been in the vicinity of the Olympics for over six decades now. True, like always in this sport, it is the past that brings a touch of joy to the faces of football lovers, like the Asian Games success and the semi-final entry in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
But then, how long can such past deeds hold on for all the lacklustre times that have been the pattern thereafter? Chhetri at least will have the satisfaction of being associated with India’s wins in the subcontinent, like the SAARC Cup, Intercontinental Cup, AFC Challenge Cup, and the like. How do we push ahead from the difficult position that the sport finds itself in now? Back in the nineties, at the time of the launch of the national league, an AFC-organised workshop in New Delhi brought to light how such a league had transformed the sport in a country like Japan. The Japanese representative proudly mentioned how the J-league concept not only caught up in his country but also brought about a huge jump ahead for Japan in the international arena. One had a sample of this in the 2022 Doha World Cup, where Japan came up with an astounding show, stopping seasoned teams like Germany and Spain. It was a kind of splash that reminded the world that Japan has the potential to be a huge force in Asia.
India, too, launched the national league. Then there was the Indian Super League, but overall, it is doubtful if anything meaningful has happened to improve the environment of the sport in any healthy way. Just the talk of centre-forwards would be enough. A majority of the ISL teams utilise the services of foreign players in this position, and so rarely does an Indian get an opportunity to get groomed. Otherwise, we would not be wondering who after Chhetri! One of the greatest drawbacks, as any football lover would admit, has to be the general lack of visibility of the sport in the sporting arena now! With the disappearance of tournaments across the country (a specific reason being a lack of financial support! ), players hardly get the reach or crowd support they need to provide a boost to their skills. It is the adoring fans and their live interaction that prop up players and catapult them to fame and hero status. Ask all those great players of the eighties and perhaps early nineties. Even a national championship for the Santosh Trophy used to be an occasion for a festive atmosphere. It would still be if, for example, it were held in Kerala, but there it is.
It is not a happy setting, and that is why Chhetri’s achievements are even more commendable. His skilful legs and thinking mind could churn up magic on the football field to get noticed in a big way to bring him awards—the Arjuna, Padma Shri, and the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. For sure, his leaving is going to leave a deep vacuum in Indian football.