Sunil Chhetri: Indian football’s centre of gravity Premium

Sunil Chhetri's passion and drive have been instrumental in the rise of Indian football. From 2000-odd fans in 2013 to 26,000 in 2023, Chhetri's influence has been felt in the form of increased fan engagement and a new crop of younger, fitter players. His competitive spirit and willingness to work hard have seen him excel even at 38, and he is now looking to make a mark at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.

Just over five years ago, when India was competing in the four-nation Intercontinental Cup in Mumbai, Sunil Chhetri made an impassioned plea urging fans to come and watch national team matches at the stadium. A paltry 2000-odd people had turned up for India’s victory over Chinese Taipei, and it required prayers from Chhetri, and fellow India sporting greats in Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar and Sania Mirza, to goad supporters to fill up the Mumbai Football Arena.

On July 4, 2023, more than 26,000 fans witnessed India lift its ninth SAFF Championship trophy at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru. Chhetri, nearly 39, stood grinning ear-to-ear and basked in the limelight. Through the fortnight, aficionados had thronged the venue, undeterred by the rains and the cold blustery winds. There were no social media appeals, no amplification techniques. Everything felt pure and organic.

To many, it was a definitive sign that the new-age Indian football fan was in it for the long haul. The SAFF Championship success, close on the heels of the triumph in the Intercontinental Cup in June, may not have come against higher-ranked opponents. The players, Chhetri included, are still a far cry from their illustrious European and South American peers. Even now, India is 100th in the FIFA rankings and is only the 18th-best nation in the Asian confederation.

But there is an unmistakable buzz of positivity around Indian football these days. Under head coach Igor Stimac, there is a genuine attempt to play a progressive style of football. There is a new crop of younger and fitter players that is emerging, coached in modern-day methods and tactics in highly professionalised set-ups.

Chhetri is that Indian side’s centre of gravity. It finally feels like he is part of a team that matches his self-assurance and drive. At a time when most sporting careers would have wound down, Chhetri seems fitter and more energetic than ever. He played every minute of India’s SAFF Championship semifinal and final against Lebanon and Kuwait over a four-day window, both of which lasted 120 minutes and more.

“He just wants to win at everything,” says Pradhyum Reddy, who was the assistant coach at Bengaluru FC (BFC) when the club was formed in 2013. “Whether it is table tennis, badminton or cards… he is just super competitive. That is infectious, and as a coach you would want that.

“When the younger players see him, they are like ‘wow, he is still doing it at 38’. When foreign players come into an Indian club and they see an Indian player being such a good role model, they realise that it is a serious environment here.”