Intercontinental Cup, India vs Kenya: Chhetri to be 100 games old, wants more to reach the mark

Mumbai, June 3: He’s a man who barely lets his emotions take the better of him. And that's probably a reason you would barely see Sunil Chhetri celebrate a goal for club and country. But on the eve of his 100th game for the national team, the Indian captain couldn’t let his emotions hide one bit.

Intercontinental Cup schedule" title="Chhetri's emotional message for fans | Intercontinental Cup schedule" />Chhetri's emotional message for fans | Intercontinental Cup schedule

No, there were no tears rolling down reminiscing his early days, but the answers at a media interaction at the Mumbai Football Arena sounded more from a senior pro who wanted to pass on a message onto the next generation than the usual star that tends to grab attention with his answers. “I used to dream about playing for India, but even in my dreams I thought I would play 100 games from my country. I’m completely honoured,” said the Indian talisman.

Boys, don't forget that our ace striker @jejefanai is going to play his 50th International match shortly. Shout out loud for him along with the skipper @chetrisunil11 and the entire @IndianFootball team #BackTheBlue #AsianDream #WeAreIndia https://t.co/gX1VUf6cAv

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) June 3, 2018

“I was speaking to my mother yesterday, it was emotional and it was really big for her and my family. The journey has been tremendous and I feel special. I’m just the second Indian to hit 100, I hope I can keep emotions in control.”

Chhetri, who made his international debut in 2002 against Pakistan, said that the journey that has spanned over 13 years has turned him into a calmer person. "I have become calmer. Once you grow older and play more, you tend to start filtering stuff which isn't needed for you. My thought process is very specific but that has made me wiser and calmer," he added.

The ace cricketer @tiwarymanoj never shies away from supporting @IndianFootball. Thank you boss for your words. #BackTheBlue #AsianDream #WeAreIndia https://t.co/xeukicWRuU

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) June 3, 2018

Ranked 97th in the world, the Indian team has made notable progress in the recent past. But to make further progress, Chhetri believed the country wanted more children to take up the sport and the ones with better potential to be scouted and tapped up. “We need more better players than Chhetris’ instead of just Chhetri, because Chhetri has reached only 100. All the kids, who are good and want to play need to get better facilities, diet, coaching facilities and places to play. Are we tapping all the potential right now? No. The day we do that, then we can say that the best are out there. At the moment, we are not doing that,” he stated.

The Bengaluru FC forward also spoke about his desire to see the national team play better opponents in future. “When we played South Korea, Australia and Bahrain at the Asian Cup (in 2011), we stared at them with our mouths agape. These friendlies against Australia and Japan should be normal. We should be rubbing shoulders with the best of Asia. Today we are celebrating our qualification to the 2019 Asian Cup. We need to reach a stage where this becomes a norm. Thailand a perfect example for us. We played them a few years ago. We lost one and drew another, but today can you say that India can pull out a result against them?” he questioned.

It's the best sport in the world. We are with you @chetrisunil11, can't wait to see more of your magic! ⚽️👏 https://t.co/wk9QxfCJTc

— LaLiga (@LaLigaEN) June 3, 2018

However, the Indian international who has piled his trade along with generations of Indian football believed that football in India was on the right track. "I think Indian football is on the right path. There's a steady growth. But when we compare to Asian countries, we're behind and it makes me sad. We have to speed up. Everyone has to work hard as where we want to go is far. We want to rub shoulders with the best in Asia."