Sunil Chhetri's secret: Do the same thing, every day

 Sunil Chhetri does not set long-term targets but the 2023 Asian Cup is an event the India captain is willing to make an exception for. “It would be very fruitful and satisfying if I can be part of that tournament,” he said, at the inaugural virtual edition of HTNxt2021. Chhetri would be almost 39 by the time the Asian Cup starts and accepted there would be many hurdles—India being able to qualify among them .

PREMIUM

Should that happen, Chettri would have played three editions of the Asian Cup, the continent’s biggest international football competition. It would also stretch his 19-year career into the third decade. He has got this far, he said, with a bit of luck and by following a continuous process.

HIGHLIGHTS| HT NXT 2021 DAY 1

“It’s about doing everything as good as possible every day…. Once you have done that, make peace with the result," Chhetri said. "It’s not that you will turn up and think, ah, I am Sunil Chhetri and it will happen…That’s why I say sports is the best leveller. You can feel like you are the best in the world and next week when the match happens, you are made to feel like you have learnt nothing. So, you go back to the drawing board and try to get better. ”

It requires discipline in spades and Chhetri said what worked for him is having people around him who share his dream. “There is no food at home that I can’t eat,” he said. “Cheat meals are planned weeks in advance.” Sometimes you are grateful for what you have achieved and that pushes me, he said. “Sometimes it is the last loss. You have got to find stuff that will push you.”

Having a curious mind has helped too. “I have always had this innate need to keep asking. I was fortunate enough to play with top players very early in life,” he said. So, he would ask former India skipper Bhaichung Bhutia how he conquered the fear of being hit, quiz Renedy Singh how his left foot was as good as his right and ask Basudeb Mondal how he could execute those raking long passes.

Being alive to new experiences also helps keep the boredom of “oatmeals, boiled broccoli, gym sessions, naps, training” at bay. It helped him absorb the experience of starting his career at Mohun Bagan when he was “17 and a half” and learn to enjoy the pressure that comes with it. That was also the start of a journey across different cities in India and abroad before joining his current club, Bengaluru FC in 2013.

“It (changing clubs) has helped me become a better player and a patient, kinder human being. You see new coaches, new people, a different culture, language and you learn more. The more knowledge you grasp, the better for you,” he said. To that end, Chhetri said he reads. The other reason he does that is that reading helps him drift off to sleep. “We are so addicted to our screens now. For sportspeople it affects sleep at night. So that’s why I encourage my teammates to read at night,” he said. Dinner is at 7pm, the phones are off at 9 and at 10:30, the lights are out at the Chhetris, he said.

“If you want to be an elite sports personality, eat well, sleep well,” he said. And even if you don’t want to be one, there is no emphasising the importance of sport in our lives, he said. “Because not only does it help you physically, you have no idea the positive change it brings to your mind. Playing sport everyday should be as important as eating.”

Experience unrestricted digital access with HT Premium

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.