Sunil Chhetri’s special letter to the media and journalists after playing his final international game in India’s FIFA World Cup qualifier against Kuwait on June 6 is winning hearts on social media. India’s 0-0 draw against Kuwait on Thursday at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati stadium in Salt Lake, Kolkata marked a not-so-ideal end to Sunil Chhetri’s 19-year-long India career. Ahead of the post-match press conference, the 39-year-old went on to express his ultimate gratitude towards the media personell with a lengthy letter, which has since gone viral all over social media.
Chhetri was not able to end his already iconic India career with another one of his trademark match-winning goals. The 39-year-old ended his career as the fourth-highest goalscorer in men’s international football with his 94 goals, behind the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Ali Daei. Ending his India career as the side’s most-capped, and most successful player, Chhetri was graced with a loud standing ovation from the 58,000 fans at the Salt Lake stadium, who would’ve wanted a better end to the night and also the journey of their Captain Fantastic, who bowed out with teary eyes in the grandest of fashion.
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In his letter to the press, Chhetri heaped praise on his journalists friend, and even apologised for a brief press-conference.
“Over the last 19 years, I’ve had the opportunity to interact with so many of you, on more than a few occasions. There were times when I had to say a lot less than I would have liked to, and others where I responded to your questions with long monologues. There were the answers laced with frustration, the ones that were – much to your annoyance – non-committal, and then the press conferences that ended in a hurry. But through it all, I’d like to believe that 1 was always honest with you. And that I always chose to have a conversation with you, even if it risked making headlines for reasons beyond those that I would have liked. I wanted to – by way of this letter and this occasion – thank you for playing the role you did in telling my story,” Chhetri’s letter read.
Thank you for the love and adulation you have shown me through your prose and photographs. But most importantly, thank you for the times when you’ve been honest in your assessment of the way I’ve played or carried myself. Yours isn’t an easy job, but a really important one. And now is as good a time as any to acknowledge it. Keep telling stories of Indian football – the good, the not po good, but mostly the ones with genuine promise and hope. We need it now more than ever. You had, and will always have, the best seats in the house. I just hope that, over these 19 years, I have made that experience just a little more special. Maybe I’ll join your dugout for a game or two. Signing off with gratitude,” Chhetri’s letter read.
This game would remain a clear call for India to get over their dependency on set-piece converted goals, now that they will be missing the enormous abilities of Sunil Chhetri, their most-capped and most successful player in the history of the national side.