New Delhi: Former Indian footballer Sunil Chhetri does not endorse any soft drinks in advertisments stating that for a player, the food he or she consumes is "paramount" and he does not believe in endorsing products which he himself would never bring home.
Speaking to ANI in an exclusive interview, Chhetri touched upon a variety of topics ranging from football, retirement from international sport, his diet and fitness as well as his family.
Talking about why he does not endorse soft drinks, Chhetri said, "What I say matters to a lot of kids. I am really, really very strict about what I eat. I think for any sports person, food is paramount. It is fuel. So whenever I try as much as possible, whenever I do endorse any food items, I make sure that my team are on their toes. I generally restrain from doing that or endorsing food items. But whenever I do, the team really works hard. One fine day, someday we might miss something. But it is not for anything. But what I do not consume, I do not want to endorse."
On if he would endorse any sports/health supplements, Chhetri said that while he does use some supplements and he might endorse one if the brand is right, he does not do all this stuff for money since he has made enough of it.
Chhetri is a vegetarian, but still does not openly tell youngsters and his audience that it is the only right way to eat and play sport. He also said that a lot of effort goes from his chef and his wife, Sonam, into preparing the right meals for him. The 40-year-old star revealed how his close friend and star India batter Virat Kohli has a team of nutritionists and chefs to carefully select what he eats
"Why I do not talk about being vegetarian is for a single reason, Do not think that you can eat roti, onion, dal and play. And this is what people generally think. The first thing people ask is, where will you get protein from? You already know the person has no knowledge or lack of knowledge. So people like Virat and me have played for the last six years at the top level, physically being vegetarian. So that myth is gone. That vegetarians cannot play. But what me and Virat eat is extensive and expensive right now, and it is not easy to bring on the table. We eat a lot. We are really fortunate we have got chefs, we have got nutritionists. Two-three types of vegetables, cereal, quinoa, salad, nuts, fruits, pomegranate. There are a lot of things on the table that we eat. Only then do we get the enough fuel needed to perform," he said.
"That is why I am scared of saying, yes, be a vegetarian and play. I do not know, some kid might think, 'I will eat Dal roti and play. And he would not be able to play at the top level. That is why I restrain myself from saying that, yeah, vegetarian is good. A lot of effort from my chef and my wife goes every day to make food for me. Every day, I'm very fortunate," he added.
Chhetri says that he does like having samosas as a cheat meal, but mostly, he eats, "the same stuff". "I mean, it is the same fruits, it's the same seeds, same nuts, same quinoa, same red rice, same vegetables."
He also said that in order to stay fit, it is not necessary that "you have to eat quinoa" and other expensive food items. Rather, people can eat what is made at home.
"There are a lot of Indian options to it. Yeah. Ragi is one of the best... I love Ragi. Me and my son loves Ragi. But ragi is good and also idli is good because it is fermented also. Yeah. So again, you do not have to go on labels and buy expensive stuff. We Indians, throughout the country, we have so many good options. So if you cannot find anything, I am talking about diet, eat what is being made at home."
Growing up, said the footballer, he would have " vegetables, rice, lentils: and every other day, there was meat and eggs. He also opened up on eating habits of his wife, Sonam and son Dhruv.
"We used to eat this. She (his wife Sonam) consumes fish. I am a vegetarian, she consumes a lot of fish. He (his son) is eating everything. I want him to eat everything. And he enjoys it. He does not eat sugar. We do not give it to him. But whatever we eat, whatever he eats, he eats. He is one year, three months now. And my family raised me and they gave me whatever was being made at home. We try not to give him packets because I do not eat it myself," he said.
"For all the viewers, if you do not understand anything, eat whatever is being cooked at home. And consider the timing. Timing. Your body likes timing. Your body should know, yes friend, Now breakfast will come, lunch will come, whatever. You only have lunch and dinner, so lunch and dinner. You take three snacks. Whatever system you have at home or yours. Whatever works for you. Because there is no right and wrong way. But your body loves timing. Sleeping at the same time, eating at the same time. Your body will work optimum level. If physically being fit is your priority. It does not matter," he saod
Chhetri kicked off his professional football journey at Mohun Bagan in 2002. Chhetri helped India win the 2007, 2009, and 2012 Nehru Cup, as well as the 2011, 2015, 2021 and 2023 SAFF Championship. He also led India to victory in the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup, which helped India qualify for its first AFC Asian Cup in 27 years.
He received the Arjuna Award in 2011, and the Padma Shri in 2019. In 2021, he became the first footballer to get the Khel Ratna Award, India's highest sporting honour.
In a career that spanned over 19 years, the Arjuna Award winner has 94 goals in 150 matches on the international stage. Interestingly, Indian football talisman Sunil Chhetri is fourth overall in the all-time international goal scorers' list. Chhetri played a major role in India's footballing fortunes in the last decade, earning legendary status in the nation's sporting history. (ANI)