‘The door is always open for him’: Khalid on Chhetri’s omission from India camp

Bengaluru: A new era has just begun for Indian football, and this time, it is Khalid Jamil, who is at the helm of affairs for the senior India men’s national team – an Indian coach taking charge of the Blue Tigers’ dressing room for the first time in 13 years.

The national camp began on Independence Day, when the players and staff reported to Bengaluru, before the first training session was held at the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence on August 16.

The absence of striker Sunil Chhetri in the probables squad for the 2025 CAFA Nations Cup has raised a few questions, though for Jamil, the doors are open.

“Sunil is a legend of Indian football. I have played against him, I’ve seen him play on numerous occasions, and he is one of my favourite players. He is a role model for Indian football, and the door is always open for him,” said Jamil.

The national camp began with 22 players, with 13 others currently fulfilling their respective club engagements in the Durand Cup.

Jamil, on his maiden international appointment, said, “It is my pleasure to serve the country. It has always been my dream to do this, and it has now come true, so that feels very good. There is a big task ahead of us, and we’ve got many areas that we need to work on. I am fully aware how big a responsibility it is for me, but I feel thankful that the Federation (AIFF) felt me worthy to be entrusted with it.”

The 48-year-old’s first assignment will be the CAFA Nations Cup, where India have been drafted into Group B, and will travel to Hisor, Tajikistan, to play the hosts (August 29), IR Iran (September 1), and Afghanistan (September 4). The top teams from groups A and B will play the final on September 8 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and the two second-placed teams will face each other in a battle for third place on the same day in Hisor.

Jamil, who is keeping an eye on the progress of the other 13 players, said, “We started the camp with some players still not available, but we’ve got the players we need to begin our preparations. The important thing is that we remain united as a team, because this will be India’s first-ever participation in the CAFA Nations Cup, and it will be a good opportunity for us to play stronger opponents. Therefore, for the national interest, we would like to request co-operation from clubs to release players on time, to ensure their adequate participation during the preparatory camp.”

However, the newly-appointed India head coach has his sights set on the AFC Asian Cup Final Round Qualifiers, where India will face Singapore in the October FIFA International Window (October 9 in Singapore and October 14 in India), in their Group C encounters.

“It will be good for us to play against quality opponents in the CAFA Nations Cup. There is absolutely no excuse for us, as we have enough time to prepare for it,” said Jamil. “Playing against stronger teams like Tajikistan and Iran will definitely be beneficial for us to prepare for the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.”

India have, thus far, played two, drawn one (0-0 at home against Bangladesh), and lost one (0-1 away in Hong Kong), and are bottom of Group C with just a point. Tasked with turning the Blue Tigers’ fortunes around, Jamil plans to take things one step at a time. IANS

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