Learning from the best: My lessons from working up close with Sunil Chhetri

Sunil Chhetri leaves an indelible imprint on the nation's sporting landscape as he calls time on his spectacular international career. In my time with the All India Football Federation as the national team's media officer in 2019, I had the honour of working closely with Sunil-bhai and in those few months, I learned a lifetime of lessons by observing and interacting with the man himself.

My first day (I still remember it was May 24) was unforgettable. After a press conference with then-newly appointed head coach Igor Stimac at an East Delhi hotel, we had planned to shoot a few video interviews ahead of the Blue Tigers' upcoming tour to Thailand for the King's Cup. The last player on the list was Sunil-bhai. As we began the chat after a quick introduction, I was finding it tough to keep my composure -- the wide-eyed fanboy inside me wanted to drop everything and stand there in awe while listening to him speak.

We wrapped up the interview in 15-20 minutes and I went to my room, excited to stitch together a special piece for viewers to enjoy. However, as I moved the videos to my laptop, I discovered, to my horror, that the files had been corrupted. I was embarrassed and shell-shocked, wondering what the skipper would think of this new guy who had just joined the side. We were due to leave for training in a few minutes, and I called the elevator to head to the ground floor, still pondering nervously about how to deal with this setback.

Sunil Chhetri in action at the AFC Asian Cup 2023

As luck would have it, the only person waiting inside the lift was Sunil-bhai himself. With one glance, he understood that something was wrong and asked, "Kya hua?" [What Happened?]. I muttered sheepishly in return and apologised for wasting his time. He put his arm around my shoulder and with an assuring smile, said:

"Arre!? Itni si baat? Training se pehle phirse saara shoot kar lenge." [Oh, that's all? We'll shoot it all again before training.]

Upon reaching, we filmed the whole piece again. He had no qualms about repeating the same answers and did so despite knowing that he had a full cavalcade of journalists waiting to speak to him.

Once we were done, I watched on in admiration as he took questions from the media and patiently answered them for over 30 minutes, and then proceeded to lead by example in Stimac's first-ever training session with the team. Personally, what could have been a horrible first day on the job for me turned into an unforgettable one (for the right reasons, thankfully), all thanks to Sunil-bhai's empathy.

Igor Stimac & Sunil Chhetri at the pre-tournament press conference for the King's Cup 2019 in Thailand

From then onwards, each day spent observing and working with the captain was a treasure trove of knowledge and a showcase of what true and consistent excellence demands.

His punctuality was flawless; always reaching the designated place 10 minutes before the scheduled time. It was common to see him talking one-on-one with each member of the team. Always bustling with energy, he donned different hats: a guide for the youngsters, battle general for the seniors, sounding board for the coaches, and so much more. He connected with everyone at a personal level. For example, for overseas games, he would always check with me if I had been able to get vegetarian food that I liked!

It was easy to see how much he loves football and other sports as well. I vividly remember that the Indian team was in the middle of training in Ahmedabad when the India-New Zealand World Cup semifinal was in its final overs. When I gestured from outside the pitch that India had lost, Sunil-bhai's face fell.

A few days later, we had Sunday evening off and he was completely invested in watching the epic Wimbledon final where Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer in a five-set classic and simultaneously, England clinched the infamous super-over victory in the World Cup final against New Zealand. Be it football, cricket, tennis, or any other sport -- he discussed it with a deep passion and understanding.

Sunil Chhetri during his farewell match in Kolkata against Kuwait

When in game mode, Sunil-bhai was a different beast. His goals and numbers at the domestic and international levels speak for themselves. His pre-match team talks were explosive and inspiring. He trained like a man possessed and was the first to berate himself for a slightly under-hit pass or a shot that just whizzed past the woodwork. It's unbelievable when you think about it -- he has been playing professionally for almost two decades, winning scores of accolades along the way, and yet here he is, upset at himself for what seems like a normal occurrence. This is what he demanded of himself day in, day out.

He is an incredible role model as a player and person, and it is my great privilege that I can refer to Sunil-bhai as a former colleague. He has given us so many memorable moments over the years, but for me, the most special one was after the draw against Qatar. It is well known how particular he is about his diet and eating the right things, but such was the jubilation after the result, that he just had to help himself to some dessert. Going around the room as the team danced in celebration, he said:

"Aaj toh meetha banta hai." (Some sweets are in order today.)

Here's hoping his next chapter after football is even sweeter and wishing him all the very best for what lies ahead.