"I am thrilled" - Sunil Chhetri on winning the Khel Ratna

Indian men's football team captain Sunil Chhetri recently became the first Indian footballer to win the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. The Khel Ratna Award is India's highest sporting honor.

The Khel Ratna Award will be given as part of the National Sports Awards, which will be given out on November 13 at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi.

Read: "Very honored to be awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna" - Neeraj Chopra

The Indian football skipper said the journey he has been through has been nothing short of a dream. In a statement released by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), Sunil Chhetri said:

“I am thrilled, I am really thankful and honored. I have always said that it is a dream that I have gone through, and it would not have been possible without my family, my friends, my wife, my close group, the teammates that I have had and the coaches that I have played under. They have all played an important part in who I am today."

"It has been amazing to play for the Indian national team" - Sunil Chhetri

Sunil Chhetri has scored 80 goals for India and is currently tied with Lionel Messi in second place in the goalscorers list among active footballers at international level. Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo leads the charts with 115 goals. Speaking of playing for the national team, Sunil Chhetri said:

“It has been amazing to play for the Indian national team, for so many years, for the number of matches. It has been an outstanding journey."

On being asked about his role models, Sunil Chhetri outlined his philosophy of grasping anything positive around.

“The amount of encouragement and inspiration around us is a lot, we just have to keep looking. The hunger of trying to learn more is needed, and you will seek out from so many people.”

Since debuting for India against Pakistan in Quetta on June 12, 2005, Sunil Chhetri has rewritten Indian football history many times. However, the Khel Ratna awardee, as always, feels apprehensive about discussing the statistics.

“I am just happy that I get the opportunity to score for my country. That is about it! To see my name on the big screen, even for just five seconds, and to know I have just contributed in some manner for my country, is all that I need. Once I am done whenever it is, we can pick out a goal and cherish the moment and talk about it. Once I have a big belly with a lot of food, we will talk about it then."

The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award will be given to 12 sportspersons including Neeraj Chopra (athletics), Ravi Kumar (wrestling), Lovlina Borgohain (boxing), PR Sreejesh (hockey), Avani Lekhara (para-shooting), Sumit Antil (para-athletics), Pramod Bhagat (para-badminton), Krishna Nagar (para-badminton), Manish Narwal (para-shooting), Mithali Raj (cricket), Sunil Chhetri (football), and Manpreet Singh (hockey).