An open letter: A 9-year-old’s retrospective confession to Sunil Chhetri

Sunil Chhetri will play his last international game against Kuwait on June 6.

Hello Sunil Chhetri, or our very own ‘Chhetri Bhai‘. This morning, you have announced your retirement from international football. I believe this is the perfect time for you to hang up your boots and pass the baton to the youngsters in the national camp. However, I am writing this piece to inform you of something that happened 16 summers ago.

This is a letter from a 9-year-old Bengali boy (in retrospect), who wants to confess and apologise to you for something he had done way back in 2008. You know, this Bengali guy started following Indian football in 2008 and immediately became a hardcore East Bengal fan. He used to support the club at a time when EB used to face constant defeats at the hands of Mohun Bagan. They hadn’t won the I-League (National Football League) since 2004 and were going through a tough phase.

At such a juncture, you, a mere 25-year-old, were yet to be labelled ‘Captain, Leader, Legend’, and had penned a contract with East Bengal. This kid grew up watching someone like Bhaichung Bhutia, who was back then the skipper of the Indian national team. But alongside him, there was this player, with a somewhat childish and chocolate-boy look – Sunil Chhetri. However, childish was just his look, he was a fierce fighter and gave it his all on the pitch every time the whistle blew.

This kid (and million others) were aware of your quality as you had been introduced to professional football by Subrata Bhattacharya, who later went on to become your father-in-law. Bablu Da, a respected figure in Indian football circles, was a genius in recognising young talents and gave you your first major break.

Let’s come to the incident, for which this child wants to apologise. It was on 18th December, 2008. East Bengal were up against Mohun Bagan in the Federation Cup semi-final at the Salt Lake Stadium. The child had an odd habit. Social media was not a relevant thing back then and he used to read newspapers everyday, especially the sports section. He used to cut out images of various Indian players and used to stick it with glue to his diary, one that his parents had gifted him.

On matchday, this kid was heavily engaged in the Fed Cup semi-final. When Sanju Pradhan gave East Bengal the lead, he jumped in glory. However, four minutes later, when Jose Ramirez Barreto equalised for Mohun Bagan, he became scared. Are East Bengal staring at yet another derby defeat, he thought?

The match went on to penalties. Mohun Bagan went on to convert all of their strikes. Parveen Kumar, Mehtab Hossain and Jayanta Sen had scored from the spot for East Bengal. Up next, it was your turn. The kid was very excited; he knew that a national team player would certainly not miss from the spot. To his surprise, the opposite happened. Your shot seemed somewhat feeble and it was easily saved by Sangram Mukherjee. Post that, Mohun Bagan’s Lukram James Singh converted Bagan’s final spot-kick to send them into the Fed Cup final!

And now, here’s why the kid wants to apologise. That morning, he had cutout your picture, in East Bengal colours, from a newspaper and stuck it on a page in his diary. After you missed the penalty, he was so furious that he tore, or rather, ripped apart that page and threw it in the dustbin. He hated you, Chhetri bhai. At least that evening, he did.

16 years have passed since that incident and now that kid has grown up. In 2021, when you were bestowed with the Khel Ratna award, he felt guilty. 2017 onwards, his notion has changed. He feels Sunil Chhetri is a changed sportsperson. He is more mature, responsible and knows how to carry a team on his shoulders.

Today, as you posted your announcement video on social media, he watched and felt ashamed and guilty. And with folded arms, he is now apologising to you. You have proved him wrong. Sunil Chhetri is not a coward or a loser, he’s a true champion who embraces every challenge like a piece of cake.

That kid is me, Chhetri Bhai. The one who wrote this piece. I had this opportunity of clicking a photo with you in Imphal last year, but refrained since you were tired after the match. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to meet you in person, but if I do, I’ll want to hug you once and tell you, “Galti ho gayi Kaptaan. Maaf kar dena.”

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