Latest news with #AsianCup2026
Indian Express
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Sunil Chhetri's speech for Indian women's team: ‘You'll get time to live normal life… (right now) just go mad'
The Indian women's football team, currently preparing for the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers, had a special visitor in the form of Sunil Chhetri to boost their morale. Currently playing for the Indian men's football team after reversing his decision to retire from international football, Sunil Chhetri gave a rousing speech to the Blue Tigresses. In the sattar-minute-esque speech, Chhetri urged the players to 'go crazy' in their pursuit to keep playing football at the top level. 'Kal main athra saal ka tha (Yesterday, I was 18 years old!) Today, I'm 41! Your coach (Crispin Chhetri) and I were in same team once. The reason I am saying this is to tell you that time flies. Fast! If you really want it bad, take all the margins. There will be no difference between sleeping at 10 pm and sleeping at 10.45 pm in one night. But do this for a year, and you see the difference. If you eat a samosa one day, won't make too much of a difference. But don't eat it for one year, you see where you are! Please don't waste it (your youth). You're still young. Just go mad! Normal life jeene ke liye wakt milega (You'll get plenty of time to live a normal life),' Sunil Chhetri told the Indian players. 'Yesterday I was 18. Today, I'm 41. Time flies.' 🥺 Words of wisdom for any young athlete from our Captain, Leader and Legend. ©️ Watch! 🎥#WeAreBFC #BlueTigresses #IndianFootball — Bengaluru FC (@bengalurufc) May 18, 2025 Sunil Chhetri then opened up about his fears of retiring from the sport completely. 'Football choot jaayega (My football career will end) and I will not be a never be a professional player is the biggest sorrow of my life,' Sunil Chhetri told members of the Indian women's team huddled around him in a circle. 'Nothing scares me or makes me sadder than that thought. There will be a time, when I won't be able to train, or compete, I can't tackle or I can't score! There's just one more year left for that!' The team then gave him an autographed jersey which made him grin from ear to ear. We had a special visitor at the #BlueTigresses 🐯 camp in Bengaluru 🤩@chetrisunil11 🙌 Read more 👉 — Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) May 18, 2025 'You know in all these years of playing for India, I have never had a jersey autographed by the rest of the Indian team. I'll frame this one!' he told the players. The Indian women's football team have been training at the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru since the start of the month to compete in the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers in Chiang Mai, Thailand, from June 23 to July 5. India have been drawn in Group B, where they will face hosts Thailand, Mongolia, Timor Leste, and Iraq.
Daily Tribune
05-03-2025
- Sport
- Daily Tribune
Bahrain U23 Squad Announced for 2025 WAFF Championship Campaign
TDT | Manama Bahrain's under-23 football team has named its squad for the upcoming 2025 West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) U23 Championship, and there's a palpable sense of excitement as these young players prepare to take on the region's best. The tournament is set to take place in Muscat, Oman from March 19-25. Facing a Tough Road Ahead The sixth edition of the WAFF U23 Championship will feature eight teams, including regional heavyweights like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and hosts Oman, alongside Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain. With a compact three-match-day format, every game is crucial. Bahrain, drawn into Group B, will kick off against the UAE on March 19. A win would send them to the semi-finals on March 22 to face the winner of the Oman-Saudi Arabia clash, with the final set for March 25. Classification matches will determine every ranking, ensuring a close fight for all spots, from bronze to eighth. The Chosen Twenty Head coach Hicham Dimai from Morocco has overseen local training sessions throughout early March, carefully selecting a 20-player squad from an initial 31-man group. Ali Sayed Abdullah Salah Abdullah Ahmed Ahmed Al-Saghir Mohammed Yousef Abdulrahman Al-Yahya Ahmed Masoud Abdulrahman Ahmed Abdulwahaab Ahmed Saeed Al-Sheikh Abdulrazzaq Ahmed Talal Al-Shuhaimi Ahmed Yasser Mohammed Abdulqader Abdulrahman Al-Nasr Ahmed Turki Ahmed Al-Nahar Abdulrahman Al-Kafti Jassim Khalaf Ahmed Al-Majed Carrying Forward a Proud Legacy Bahrain's under-23 team has a history in this competition, having competed in the inaugural 2015 edition in Qatar, where Iran claimed the title, and more recent tournaments like the 2023 event in Iraq, won by the hosts. Each experience has shaped this squad, fueling their hunger for success. They're also preparing for the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers in September, a key step toward the tournament in Saudi Arabia and a shot at Olympic qualification. A Stage to Prove Themselves For these young athletes, the championship is a chance to honor Bahrain's footballing spirit. The youngsters are set to make an impact in West Asia, one strong performance at a time.
