FIFA U17 World Cup: Sunil Chhetri's advice to the India U17 team

With less than a month to go before the FIFA U17 World Cup kicks off, the anticipation is building in the Indian U17 camp. There was a sense of determination on the youngsters’ faces as they trained in the drizzle at Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru. Also present in the stadium was Indian senior team skipper Sunil Chhetri who gave the team some valuable advice prior to the showpiece event.

Chhetri, who led the team to a 2-0 win against Macau in the Asian Cup qualifiers, told the young lads, “This Tournament is going to be the most important days of your lives. Listen to your coaches, get your massages done, eat at the right time, sleep at the right time, so that when the World Cup finishes, you don’t have any regrets.”

India have never been part of a World Cup, so understandably, a lot of eyes will be on the youngsters and with that, there might be some nerves come next month. There’s perhaps no Indian footballer better at handling pressure right now than Chhetri.

Chhetri has been in the limelight ever since there were comparisons made with the great Bhaichung Bhutia and he has managed to carve out his own legendary status amidst all the expectations.

He told the team that they need to play with freedom and not let the massive expectations get in their way, “We all would love to play in a World Cup. I would give my 15 years to play in a World Cup. Make sure you enjoy it, without any pressure. Make the most out of it, and the whole country will applaud you.”

Chhetri also presented the new Nike sponsored kit to the team, which represents the fearless brand of football the team is known for. He then went on to add, “Not everything is in your hands. Don’t be scared. Forget about which side you’re playing, your work is simple; give your best.”

The hosts will start their campaign against the United States U17 side in group ‘A’ next month. Although the team have been clubbed with some good sides (Colombia U17 and Ghana U17 being the other two), there is still an outside chance. The Indians aren’t expected to progress to the next round and that sort of takes away the pressure.

Coach Luis Norton de Matos has done a commendable job in the short seven-month stint so far and irrespective of the results, the fans are hoping for some good performances from the team.