Sunil Chhetri is an icon of not just Indian football, but Indian sports in general. The former Indian National Team captain is the fourth-highest international scorer of all-time, and has many laurels to his name.
He has been awarded the Arjuna Award, the Padma Shri, as well as the Khel Ratna Award from the Government of India. An inspiration for children across the country to take up sports other than cricket, Sunil Chhetri celebrates his birthday every year on August 3.
To commemorate the day, today’s quote of the day is an extract from his 2024 interview with FIFA, where he stated, “I realised that talent is fine, but if you don’t want to work hard at (the top) level, you will not sustain it because everyone is good at this level.”
What does Sunil Chhetri’s quote mean?
The interview with FIFA was from the time when Sunil Chhetri first announced his retirement from international football. On account of the game’s fourth-highest international goal scorer, comparisons were naturally made between him and the three players ahead of him - Cristiano Ronaldo, Ali Daei and Lionel Messi.
{{/usCountry}}The interview with FIFA was from the time when Sunil Chhetri first announced his retirement from international football. On account of the game’s fourth-highest international goal scorer, comparisons were naturally made between him and the three players ahead of him - Cristiano Ronaldo, Ali Daei and Lionel Messi.
{{/usCountry}}Sunil Chhetri walked the fine line between proud and humble as gracefully as always, stating at the time that he admires them all, and that he is, in fact, more proud of the fact that he could represent his country in over 150 matches. He went on to explain why and highlighted the importance of hard work in backing up talent.
“More than all of it, I want to be remembered as somebody who worked really hard. You know, I was one of those kids who was naturally talented, somebody who could pick (up) any game. I was good with the ball, and I had good touch, so I was quite arrogant growing up. I always thought that I should be in the team and be the best player and this and that,” he stated in the interview.
“Very early on, I had some amazing role models in my life, though, who showed me the way of hard work. I realised that talent is fine, but if you don’t want to work hard at this level, you will not sustain it because everyone is good at this level.”
What is the relevance of Sunil Chhetri’s quote?
Sunil Chhetri’s quote reminds us of an evergreen truth. Talent is great, but hard work is what sees it through at the end of the day. There is a clear difference between showing promise and becoming successful, and while there are various factors, including sheer luck at play, the importance of hard work is never to be underestimated.