West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee extended her wishes to Indian Football Team skipper Sunil Chhetri following his final international match with the Blue Tigers. Chhetri commenced his professional football journey at Mohun Bagan in 2002 and contributed significantly to India’s victories in various tournaments, including the Nehru Cup and the SAFF Championship.
Mamata expressed her wishes to Chhetri for his ‘glorious’ new journey and referred to him as the ‘golden boy’ of Bengal. She emphasized that it wasn’t a farewell for him but a day for him to continue upholding the glory of his family, Bengal, and India.
“Welcome Sunil Chhetri @chetrisunil11 to the beginning of a glorious new journey. You start a new phase of life today. You have been a golden boy of Bengal, Captain of the Indian football team, a sports icon of Asia, a globally adored scorer, a giant achiever. I am sure that you will continue to play, add to our glory and achieve many more laurels for yourself and us. It is not a day of farewell for you. It is a day to renew your pledge to uphold the glory of your family, Bengal and India further and further. Wish and pray for your future successes,” Mamata wrote on X.
Welcome Sunil Chhetri @chetrisunil11 to the beginning of a glorious new journey. You start a new phase of life today.
You have been a golden boy of Bengal, Captain of the Indian football team, a sports icon of Asia, a globally adored scorer, a giant achiever. I am sure that…
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) June 6, 2024
Reflecting on the match, the Blue Tigers dominated the first half, creating numerous chances but failed to score. Despite Kuwait’s comeback in the second half, Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu’s impressive performance prevented them from scoring. The match ended in a goalless draw, marking Chhetri’s farewell match.