тАЬEither the team doesnтАЩt go, or we field the best possible team. Because it is the Asian Games.тАЭ That is Sunil ChhetriтАЩs point of view about leading a squad of Indian Super League (ISL) irregulars to the continental showpiece event.
тАЬI am not blaming anyone. We can do all that later. I am not taking a dig at anyone. I am going because my club wants me to though (coach) Simon (Grayson) is not happy. And I cannot say no to playing for the country. But with no disrespect to anyone, I do not want to lose face,тАЭ said Chhetri, 39, over the phone from Bengaluru on Thursday.
Left to him, Chhetri would not have been in Bengaluru, nearly a week after resuming training after becoming a father. тАЬWe should have been in a camp or training in China,тАЭ he said. And if that is not possible, India should field a team where players know each other, have trained and played together, he said. Such as the under-23 squad Clifford Miranda took to China for the Asian qualifiers. Or, the squad India head coach Igor Stimac had selected which All India Football Federation (AIFF) released on August 1.
That familiarity would compensate for the lack of training going into Asian Games, he said. тАЬI donтАЩt know when I last played with Sumit Rathi or Narender Gahlot. It will be difficult for them and for me.тАЭ
Gahlot and Rathi are among the 18 for the Games where India open against China on September 19. Thirteen of the 22 Stimac had chosen were not in the squad named on Wednesday because they were not released by their clubs.
Chhetri said he understood Mumbai City FC, Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Odisha FC holding back players. They are representing India as well, he said, referring to the clubsтАЩ commitments in the Asian Champions League and AFC Cup both of which will be during Asian GamesтАЩ football which runs from September 19 to October 7.
тАЬBut the others could have released two players each the head coach wanted. I understand it is not easy for cubs and coaches to do that. But a man can always hope and I am still hoping that we go with the best possible team,тАЭ he said.
If none of that happens, Chhetri тАЬwould still go and fight, still run like a dog on the pitch.тАЭ But it wouldnтАЩt change that this would be the most under-prepared national team he would be part of, he said. One that till Thursday evening had two and not three goalkeepers. Chhetri said he couldnтАЩt remember being in a squad with one goalkeeper less.
India are grouped with China, Bangladesh and Myanmar. ChinaтАЩs under-23 team has played 12 games and they will be joned by three senior players, said Chhetri. тАЬAnd they will add senior players to that squad and are playing at home.тАЭ The top two teams from the six groups and four of the best third teams will qualify for the round of 16.
On August 31, Chhetri and wife Sonam Bhattacharya became parents to a son they have named Dhruv. тАЬI wanted an exception for the KingтАЩs Cup because of that but the moment I saw India playing Iraq, I began missing the team. From that squad players like Jeakson (Singh) and (Mahesh) Naorem were supposed to be part of the Asian Games.тАЭ But then the list kept changing repeatedly and three days ago, Chhetri said he thought he wasnтАЩt going as well along with Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Sandesh Jhingan, the other over-24 players named by AIFF.
тАЬI was about to call Clifford and wish hm all the best because I thought he was taking a team,тАЭ said Chhetri, now the only over-24 plater in the squad. тАЬAnd then yesterday my wife said, тАШyou are on the list.тАЭ
