Bhaichung, Jeje, Eugeneson the best I’ve played with in SAFF Championships: Sunil Chhetri
MALDIVES: It’s been 13 years since Sunil Chhetri first appeared for India
in a SAFF Championship match. Since then, he has been part of the Blue Tigers
in four editions, with the forthcoming Championship (set to kick-off tomorrow
October 1 – India begin their campaign on October 4) being his fifth one.
In a candid chat, Sunil takes a walk down memory lane and picks
up his favourites from editions of the Championship that he has been a part of.
Which
has been your favourite SAFF Championship so far?
I
will pick the one which we won in Kerala in the 2015-16 edition. The rivalry
that we had with Afghanistan in the final, and the build-up to it was simply
majestic. It is also because we had a lot of youngsters in the squad, and won
it with just 19 players after Robin Singh got injured in the first match
itself. Over 40,000 people turned up to cheer for us in the final. That will
always stay with me.
Which has been your favourite goal from all the editions in
which you have played so far?
Jeje’s
(Lalpekhlua) goal in the final against Afghanistan in 2015-16 in
Thiruvananthapuram will always be my favourite. It was an extremely tough
match, and we were 0-1 down despite having some good chances. The goal was extremely
significant, and the manner the superstar flicked it in was sublime. Most
importantly, it came at the right moment. If we hadn’t scored then, maybe we
would have panicked and the result could have been different. We eventually
went on to win 2-1.
Which are the toughest matches which you have played in the SAFF
Championship?
There have been quite a few. But if you ask me to pick a
specific one, then it has to be the one which we played against Nepal in
Kathmandu in the 2013 edition. It was a group stage match, and we lost 1-2 in
front of a full house. It was noisy, and it has been my toughest match in the
Championship so far.
Who has been the most lethal Indian player that you have played
with in the Championship?
That’s a really difficult one to answer as there have been many.
But I will go for Bhaichung-da, and I don’t need to explain it. His name itself
is self-explanatory.
With whom have you shared the best relationship on and off the
field?
As I have played with so many players, it has kept changing. But
I am quite fortunate with whom I have enjoyed my relationship on and off the
field. If I stick purely on the pitch, I will pick up Bhaichung-da (Bhutia) and
Jeje (Lalpekhlua), and it has more to do with my combination and understanding
with them.
But if it’s a mix, and the proximity which we share then it has
to be Eugeneson Lyngdoh. Despite him playing for a very short time, I am
extremely fond of him, and we are very close. But then I am close to everyone.
Who has been your favourite player in the SAFF region?
We as a nation have been very dominant in the SAFF
Championships. But if I am not to mention any from my country, I will always
vote for Ali Ashfaq. He has been extraordinary, deadly when he has the ball at
his feet.