FIFA Shoots 'Special Series' with Legendary Sunil Chhetri as Part of Regional Content Initiative | Nikhilodien
"FIFA
Shoots Special Series with Legendary Sunil Chhetri"
Source
Nikhilodien-Sunil Chhetri, the captain of the Indian
football team, has truly gone global, with FIFA filming a "special
series" on him in honour of a successful career for a country where a
World Cup appearance remains a pipedream despite years of bombast.
Chhetri's appearance in a series by the world football
governing body for a team that has yet to play in the World Cup is unique by
any stretch of the imagination. “Some of the parts have been in shot in
Bangalore as he is living there while a bit of shooting also took place in
Delhi, where his parents live and where he grew up," a source aware of the
development told PTI on Friday.
“It’s part of a FIFA’s
regional content initiative which they have launched. So globally when one
talks of Indian football, Sunil, without a doubt, is the contact point. You
would go to him, right," an Indian football insider added.
Chhetri also received a congratulations note from top English Premier
League team Tottenham Hotspur for equaling Hungarian star Ferenc Puskas' score
of 84 international goals, which is something that seldom happens.
Chhetri pulled level with Puskas as the fifth-highest international goal
scorer by netting India's second goal in their last AFC Asian Cup Qualifying
game against Afghanistan on Tuesday.
He is currently only two goals behind Argentina's Lionel Messi, who has
86 goals to his name.
The 37-year-old Chhetri is the third-highest goal scorer in
international football among active players, a list that is led by Portuguese
star Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo has so far scored 117 goals for the national team.
In an illustrious career, Chhetri has represented the Indian team in 129
games so far.
When asked about his record after India’s qualification to the Asian
Cup, the Indian captain had stated, “I genuinely don’t care about records and
personal milestones. I just want to enjoy myself as I move on to the last
moments just go out and enjoy on the pitch."
India has qualified for back-to-back editions of the top continental
competition for the first time, but the team has battled to get its act
together in recent years, failing to progress in the 2022 FIFA World Cup
Qualifiers for the second time.
The team, on the other hand, made up for their disappointment in the
World Cup Qualifiers by qualifying for the Asian Cup, with Chhetri leading the
charge with four goals.
Impressed by the huge turnout at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata,
Chhetri says the side would love to play the AFC Asian Cup on home soil while
confessing to “hitting my peak" at a time when many are discussing his
retirement from the game.
“The kind of form we are in, we would have loved to play at home. The way the fans are coming up and supporting us in numbers, it would be great to play here," said Chhetri.
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