Indian men’s football team captain Sunil Chhetri has hailed the growing love for Indian football in recent times after the team won three back-to-back trophies in 2023.
The Blue Tigers, who beat Kuwait in the final to lift the SAFF Championship in Bengaluru, received a lot of support from the fans in the stands and on social media alike that prompted the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to send the Indian men’s and women’s football teams to the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China that will be held in September.
Sunil Chhetri and Co. have a packed six months ahead of them as they will play the King’s Cup in Thailand, Merdeka Tournament in Malaysia, and Asian Games, in China in September and October before the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers later in October.
The biggest assignment on the horizon for the Indian team is the AFC Asian Cup in January which will see the Blue Tigers take part in Asia’s biggest football competition in back-to-back editions for the first time.
Chhetri feels the interest in Indian football off the field has increased after the team’s recent performances and the energy among the supporters is the greatest he has seen in the recent past.
“I think this is the best momentum that we have seen in Indian football in the last 20 years where every nook and corner, people are talking about Indian football. Everyone wants to know what is happening,” Chhetri said in a YouTube interview with Revsportz.
“I am not talking about the quality, the on-field things but off the field it has been special. During the SAFF Championship in Bengaluru, all fans of the respective Hero ISL clubs came under one banner – the national flag and wholeheartedly supported us. This is the India that I envision,” he added.
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