New Delhi: India captain Sunil Chettri has considered India’s AFC Asian Cup 2027 bidding as ‘immense’ if they can procure the hosting rights. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced their candidature on Wednesday (December 16).
The world’s second-highest goalscorer among active international players, who have represented India at two Asian Cups in 2011 and 2019 expressed that it would be the ‘best gift’. Chettri who stands between the two arguably best footballers of all time Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi is all about the grandeur of the event.
He said, “We have already had the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2017 in India and it was such a huge success and you can see the prodigies of the tournament do so well. We also have the upcoming FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2022 and I can’t wait for it. To get the 2027 Asian Cup and get the best in Asia to come to our country to play would be immense. I wish the AIFF all the very best and I hope we get it.”
Out-of-contention India goalie, Subrata ‘Spiderman’ Paul, also spoke to the media about the same. “I consider myself very lucky to represent my country and play in big matches in front of our fans. But, nothing is bigger than hosting the Asian Cup. I feel, in the last few years, our football infrastructure and culture has developed a lot and we are ready to host the AFC Asian Cup. I have no doubt that our fans will make it memorable for everyone and make our nation a destination for global football,” he said.
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, the first Indian to have played in the UEFA Europa League also talked about the candidature to hold AFC Asian Cup. He said, “Our performances in the last few years have been steadily improving and hosting a big, big tournament like this will help us a lot.
“In 2017, we saw the FIFA U-17 World Cup being hosted in India and in 2022, the AFC Women’s Asian Cup and FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup will be hosted as well. Hosting the AFC Asian Cup in 2027 will be a big boost for us in India and help the sport massively,” he added.
India defender and Arjuna awardee Sandesh Jhingan said, “I saw the support which we got for the AFC Asian Cup 2019 in UAE and it felt like home with all the fans coming to support us. I can only imagine the noise and the buzz if we play the AFC Asian Cup 2027 in Kolkata.
“It’s a dream for every Indian and I hope it gets fulfilled. The entire football fraternity in India will enjoy world-class football in our own backyard. I can’t wait for it,” Jhingan said.
