Talismanic India footballer Sunil Chhetri has said it would have been a “shame” had an Army kid like him not been able to win the Durand Cup in his professional life, adding that while a two-decade long wait for the prestigious trophy was a long one, it was worth it in the end.
Chhetri’s side Bengaluru FC won their first-ever Durand Cup title, overcoming Mumbai City FC 2-1 in the final at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) here on Sunday.
Siva Sakthi and Brazilian Alan Costa scored for Bengaluru FC (BFC) while Apuia got the lone goal for Mumbai City FC (MCFC) in what was a fine display of end-to-end football.
Chhetri took to social media to express his joy on winning the trophy, posting images and tweeting that winning with the Bengaluru FC side was extra special.
“Two decades is a bit of a wait, but if it meant doing it in the blue of Bengaluru, then it was worth every season of trying. Durand Cup Champions — would have been a shame if an Army kid playing football professionally never had the chance to say this. Come on, BFC!” tweeted Chhetri, 38.
According to Wikipedia, Chhetri was born to KB Chhetri, an officer in the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers of the Indian Army, and Sushila Chhetri. His father played football for the Indian Army’s team while his mother and her twin sisters played for the Nepal women’s national team.
Captain Chhetri also had a couple of golden opportunities to score on Sunday, once in the 69th minute, when his left-footed strike missed the target and then again in the 87th when he was one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but the custodian brought off a great save.
Chhetri’s tweet has since gone viral getting thousands of likes and re-tweets.
–IANS
akm/
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dear Reader,
Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.
We, however, have a request.
As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.
Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.
Digital Editor
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
