Indian captain Sunil Chhetri confirmed that he will skip the SAFF Cup which will take place in Bangladesh, who will host the event for the third time from September 4-15. India the current champions are the most successful team in tournament history with seven titles.
“It’s not a declaration but I think I have had enough of SAFF. I was fortunate to play SAFF three or four times. I am not declaring anything right now but I had a chat with the coach and he said he wants to bring a lot of junior players which I think is a very good thing,” Chhetri told reporters on the sidelines of the Calcutta Sports Journalists’ Club Annual Awards 2018
Saff is a great opportunity for youngsters- Chhetri
“It’s not trying to demean the other teams in the SAFF region. It’s a great opportunity for the youngsters to come to the table and show the coach that they also have potential. I think even with the U-23 team, we are very strong in the SAFF region. I hope they do well and we retain the championship,” Chhetri said.
Disappointed that we didn’t go to Asian Games- Chhetri
Chhetri, 34, expressed his disappointment after Indian football team was not allowed to participate in the Asian sporting extravaganza. Indian Olympic association stated that the football teams are unlikely to win a medal at the Asian Games starting 18th August.
“I hope we can rectify things. Suddenly India is not going to win medals. You got to give them a chance to do that.
“This is the government thing, not in my hands. If the boys would have got a chance, it would have been lovely. Any tournament the under-age teams play is great and I just hope in the future we can neglect these things,” Chhetri said who recently was adjudged best sportsperson of the country.
Recently India U-16 team stunned reigning Asian champions Iraq with a last-gasp goal at the West Asian Football Federation Tournament, while India’s U-20 football team shocked Argentina 2-1 despite being reduced to 10-men at the COTIF Cup.
About historic win of U-16 and U-20 teams against Iraq and Argentina respectively
“I am very hopeful about the U-16 team. Against Iraq, we had more ball possession. We had more attacks. The U20 team, I saw a few clippings and we had to defend a lot against Argentina. And that was one game. I haven’t seen them much but it’s a great result,” Chhetri said.
“Bibiano Fernandes (U-16 football coach) is doing a great job and the U-16 team has potential to do great things in future. We have to preserve them. They are a treat to watch.
