Sunil Chhetri, football’s first Khel Ratna awardee, says it has been a dream journey

Since
his
India
debut
on
June
12,
2005,
against
Pakistan
in
Quetta,
Chhetri
has
rewritten
the
country’s
football
history
many
times
and
he
has
now
added
another
feather
in
his
cap
by
being
named
for
the
country’s
highest
sporting
award.

“I
am
thrilled,
I
am
really
thankful
and
honoured.
I
have
always
said
that
it
is
a
dream
that
I
have
gone
through,
and
it
would
not
have
been
possible
without
my
family,
teammates
and
coaches
I
have
played
under,”
Chhetri
said.

National
Sports
Awards
2021:
Full
List
of
Khel
Ratna,
Arjuna
&
Dronacharya
Award
Winners,
Prize
Money
Details

“It
has
been
amazing
to
play
for
the
National
team,
for
so
many
years,
for
the
number
of
matches,
it
has
been
an
outstanding
journey,”
said
the
36-year-old
year
talismanic
India
captain
in
an
AIFF
release.

Arguably
India’s
greatest
footballer
after
the
‘Golden
Era’ of
the
last
century,
Chhetri
has
played
the
most
international
matches
and
scored
most
goals.
With
80
strikes
from
125
international
matches,
he
is
currently
tied
with
Argentine
superstar
Lionel
Messi
on
the
number
of
goals
among
active
players.

He
is
one
of
the
few
Indian
footballers
who
have
won
the
Padma
Shri
and
has
also
been
conferred
with
the
Arjuna
Award.
He
is
the
first
footballer
to
win
the
Khel
Ratna,
the
country’s
highest
sporting
award.

Chhetri
was
on
Tuesday
(November
2)
named
among
12
sportspersons
to
be
conferred
with
the
Major
Dhyan
Chand
Khel
Ratna
award
for
2021,
on
November
13.
Asked
about
his
role
models
in
his
life,
Chhetri
said:
“The
amount
of
encouragement
and
inspiration
around
us
is
a
lot,
we
just
have
to
keep
looking.
The
hunger
of
trying
to
learn
more
is
needed,
and
you
will
seek
out
from
so
many
people.”

“There’re
many
people
who
came
out
to
help
people
during
the
Covid-19
pandemic,
be
it
financially
or
on
the
ground.
They
put
their
lives
in
danger
and
gave
their
all.
These
people
are
extraordinary!
So
if
anyone
is
looking
for
inspiration,
it
is
all
around,
and
if
you
need
to
find
it,
you
can
look
for
it
anywhere.”

He
is
not
yet
ready
to
discuss
the
remarkable
statistics
during
his
16
years
of
an
illustrious
career,
saying
he
would
want
to
focus
on
playing
and
scoring
goals
for
the
country.

“I
am
just
happy
that
I
get
the
opportunity
to
score
for
my
country.
That
is
about
it!
To
see
my
name
on
the
big
screen,
even
for
just
five
seconds,
and
to
know
I
have
just
contributed
in
some
manner
for
my
country,
is
all
that
I
need,”
said
Chhetri.

“Once
I
am
done
whenever
it
is,
we
can
pick
out
a
goal
and
cherish
the
moment
and
talk
about
it.
Once
I
have
a
big
belly
with
a
lot
of
food,
we
will
talk
about
it
then.”
All
India
Football
Federation
(AIFF)
president
Praful
Patel
lauded
Chhetri
on
getting
the
Khel
Ratna.

“Congratulations!
No
one
deserves
it
more
than
Sunil.
He
has
been
the
flag
bearer
and
a
role
model
for
Indian
football,
having
won
so
many
laurels
for
his
country
and
all
his
clubs
over
the
years.

“I
wish
him
all
the
best
in
his
future
endeavours,
and
look
forward
together
to
him
leading
us
to
unprecedented
glories
in
near
future,”
Patel
said.
AIFF
general
secretary
Kushal
Das
also
congratulated
Chhetri.

“The
Major
Dhyan
Chand
Khel
Ratna
Award
is
the
pinnacle
of
all
sporting
awards
in
the
country
and
Sunil
deserves
the
award.
He
is
a
living
legend
and
the
icon
whom
all
fans
look
up
to.
“I
wish
him
all
the
best
for
his
professional
and
personal
life.
You
have
been
a
true
flag-bearer
for
Indian
football,”
Das
said.

ICC T20 World Cup 2021 Predictions

Match 32 – November 3 2021, 03:30 PM

New Zealand

Scotland

Predict Now