Chhetri, whose hunger for goals has been increasing with each passing day, feels there aren\u2019t many players who are still as hungry as him to score.
However, the India number 11 is as motivated as ever ahead of the match against the Kyrgyz Republic<\/a>, to bulge the back of the net at yet another stadium.
\u201cMy hunger to score is the same as it has always been, and it will be the same against the Kyrgyz Republic. Off-sides and penalty decisions are a part of the game, and you think about them for a certain amount of time, but then you move on and look forward to the next match,\u201d said Chhetri to the AIFF website in an interview. \u201cWhat you rather do is to minimise mistakes and move on.
\u201cI don\u2019t want to sound pompous, but I feel that there aren\u2019t many players who are as hungry to score as I am,\u201d he said.
The mercurial striker, after joining the National Camp just a day after the ISL final, was on song for India, in the first Tri-Nation International Football Tournament match against Myanmar at the Khuman Lampak Stadium last week. Despite several efforts, a disallowed goal that left many questioning the off-side call on the India captain, was all he had to show for it.<\/p>\n
![\"Football\"](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/imgsize-23456,msid-99033924,width-600,resizemode-4\/99033924.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe man who has seen and done it all in Indian Football, after playing for the first time in Manipur, a state that has supplied countless players to the men\u2019s and women\u2019s National Teams, got a better understanding about the popularity of the beautiful game in the state.
\u201cWe got such amazing support from the crowd in the first game against Myanmar. This is the second time I have come here, and the first time that I\u2019ve played in Imphal, but I understand why people of Manipur are crazy about football. I just hope that we can get a positive result against Kyrgyz Republic and hope we can give an amazing game to the people,\u201d he said.
\u201cI also saw a lot of travelling fans, as well as little girls and mothers come to the stands, and that is really good for the game.\u201d
The India captain also spoke of the motivating effect these matches could have on the younger generation of players from the state.
\u201cMany of us who have been playing for a long time, we\u2019ve not been here to play, so seeing all the Indian Football stars gives the younger kids that extra motivation,\u201d said Chhetri. \u201cEven more than the others, seeing the likes of Suresh (Wangjam), Jeakson (Singh), Yasir (Mohammad) could really motivate the kids here, though judging by the sheer number of quality players that come out of this state, they do not need as much motivation.
\u201cI just hope that as a national team, we can give them that much more to help them dream more.\u201d
India are currently sitting at the top of the table in the Hero Tri-Nation International Football Tournament after a 1-0 win against Myanmar, and are followed by Kyrgyz Republic and Myanmar, who played out a 1-1 draw in their second match. However, Chhetri warned against complacency against the opponents on Tuesday.
\u201cKyrgyz Republic have physically strong and fast players. Don\u2019t be fooled by what happened against Myanmar, because they are a top side. We have seen their last 10 games, and believe me when I say, they are a very good side,\u201d he said.
\u201cAll the matches that we have played against them in the past have also been tough matches.\u201d
While the India captain looks fully motivated ahead of the match against Kyrgyz Republic, he also conceded that joining the National Team camp straight after the ISL final which his side Bengaluru FC lost to ATK Mohun Bagan was a boon.
\u201cThe National Team camp gave us an outlet. If the camp wasn\u2019t there, it would have been more difficult for us to cope. I can tell you that the boys who are not there, it\u2019s much more difficult for them,\u201d he said.
\u201cIt\u2019s not a switch of a button, but when you have to take the flight the next day to the National Camp, it gives you a bit more in terms of what you are thinking. You come and see the setup and it takes your mind far from the loss, you start training, and your mind is further. After months of hard work, when you lose a final, you can go into a rabbit hole if you have time to think. But thankfully for us, we joined straight at the National Camp.\u201d<\/div>\n