‘Would be satisfying if I can play 2023 Asian Cup’

KOLKATA: Sunil Chhetri does not set long-term targets but the 2023 Asian Cup is an event the India captain is willing to make an exception for.

“It would be very fruitful and satisfying if I can be part of that tournament,” he said, at the inaugural virtual edition of HTNxt2021. Chhetri would be almost 39 by the time the Asian Cup starts and accepted there would be many hurdles—India being able to qualify among them. Should that happen, Chettri would have played three editions of the Asian Cup, the continent’s biggest international football competition. It would also stretch his 19-year career into the third decade. He has got this far, he said, with a bit of luck and by following a continuous process.

“It’s about doing everything as good as possible every day…. Once you have done that, make peace with the result,” Chhetri said. “It’s not that you will turn up and think, ah, I am Sunil Chhetri and it will happen…That’s why I say sports is the best leveller. You can feel like you are the best in the world and next week when the match happens, you are made to feel like you have learnt nothing. So, you go back to the drawing board and try to get better. ”

It requires discipline in spades and Chhetri said what worked for him is having people around him who share his dream. “There is no food at home that I can’t eat,” he said. “Cheat meals are planned weeks in advance.”

Having a curious mind has helped too. “I have always had this innate need to keep asking. I was fortunate enough to play with top players very early in life,” he said.

Being alive to new experiences also helps keep the boredom of “oatmeals, boiled broccoli, gym sessions, naps, training” at bay.

It helped him absorb the experience of starting his career at Mohun Bagan when he was “17 and a half” and learn to enjoy the pressure that comes with it. That was also the start of a journey across different cities in India and abroad before joining his current club, Bengaluru FC in 2013.