New Delhi, Jul 10 (IANS): At an event that honoured the long-stemmed history of the Durand Cup, President of India Droupadi Murmu unveiled the three trophies, Durand Cup, Shimla Trophy, and President Cup ahead of the 2024 edition of the tournament. Indian football’s absolute brightest star Sunil Chhetri was present at the event and gave a passionate speech regarding his feelings on Indian Football and said he ‘can’t wait,’ for the day Indian football reaches its potential.

“Over the last two decades, I have had the opportunity to see the highs and endure the lows as a footballer and have faced whatever Indian football has had to offer. The one constant has been the belief that one day we as a nation will realise the potential of complete Indian football and I can’t wait for that,” said Chhetri whilst speaking at the event,

Chhetri’s comments come at a time when the country’s footballing scene seems to be like a rudderless ship. The team currently does not have a Head Coach after the debacle between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Igor Stimac unfolded in June. The new coach will be announced at the end of July.

“I am an optimist, most of when it comes to Indian football. While I can’t change anything on the pitch as I am no longer a player for the national team, I can very happily promise that I am committed to doing whatever it takes to make sure we as a nation can reach the promised land. It’s on all of us to back Indian footballers, the ecosystem, and chase the dream we all commonly share,” added India’s all-time leading top scorer.

Sunil Chhetri’s ability to raise optimism in the minds of many people matches his remarkable prowess in the field as the man with the most appearances in a Blue Tigers shirt went on to talk about the prestigious Durand Cup.

“It’s an honour to be here amongst all of you as an ambassador of my sport but also more importantly as a citizen of this glorious country who had the good fortune of playing for my nation for 19 years,” he added.

Chhetri played for City Club in Delhi at the 2001-02 season of the Durand Cup where he managed to impress scouts which kickstarted his career and went on to become one of the most important in the history of the sport in India.

“It was at this Durand Cup, a long time ago when I got discovered. As a young kid in Delhi, I was discovered here and I got my big break and that’s how my journey started. This is not just any tournament, it’s a very important tournament with a lot of history, tradition, and culture and I could not be more happy to be here on this stage talking about the Durand Cup,” concluded the former Indian speaker.