Sunil Chhetri always willing to help juniors: Halicharan Narzary

GUWAHATI, June 5: Sunil Chhetri, a living legend of Indian football, will play his final match for India on June 6 against Kuwait in a FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup 2027 Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2 match in Kolkata. This event marks the end of an enormous chapter in Indian sports history.

Halicharan Narzary, Sunil’s former teammate in team India and current teammate at Bengaluru FC shared his reactions on Sunil.

“I’m so sad that Sunil bhai will not play for India anymore,” Halicharan told The Assam Tribune during a conversation in Guwahati recently. He pondered on who could possibly replace Chhetri, stating, “The way Sunil Chhetri has led India on numerous occasions is incredible. Even at this age (39), he gives his best and keeps the opposition at bay. It’s almost impossible to fill that gap once he hangs his boots.”

Discussing how Chhetri has managed to play at the highest level until the age of 39, Halicharan attributed it to sheer hard work and punctuality. “Sunil bhai is extremely hard-working and punctual — both on and off the field. He maintains a strict and disciplined lifestyle. That’s how he has been able to perform at this age,” Halicharan said.

Halicharan also highlighted Chhetri’s qualities that he admires: “He has been very helpful to the junior players in the team, always guiding them about the game, diet, and other aspects. He may shout at teammates in the heat of the moment during a match, but off the field, he is always willing to sit down and provide valuable insights and advice.”

Sharing fond memories of their time playing together since 2015, Halicharan particularly highlighted their victory in the SAFF Cup final in 2016 against Afghanistan. India won the match 2-1 with Sunil and Jeje Lalpekhlua scoring. “In the final, it was a draw (1-1)…we won in the extra time with Sunil bhai’s goal…we celebrated a lot. These memories will linger for a long time,” he recalled.

Grassroots in Assam:

Halicharan, who hails from Kokrajhar, is one of the few footballers from Assam to have represented India 27 times since his debut in 2015. He underscored the importance of grassroots development for the growth of football in Assam.

“I always say that to work at the grassroots is very important. To begin with, we need to provide better facilities and proper coaching to kids from a very young age,” Halicharan stated. He pointed out the lack of leagues for younger age groups in Assam, such as Under-7, U8, and U10 categories. “If we start working from that age, the quality of the players will improve. We need to keep playing matches on a weekly or even monthly basis.”

Halicharan urged the Assam Football Association to focus on grassroots initiatives, though he noted that he could not elaborate much on the specifics of what needs to be done.

In his career, Halicharan has represented several clubs in the Indian Super League including NorthEast United FC, Kerala Blasters, Hyderabad FC and finally he joined Bengaluru FC last year.