From ball boy to Blue Tigers’ doorstep: J&K player Suhail gets inspiration from Chhetri, Ronaldo

New Delhi, Jun 2 (PTI) Suhail Ahmad Bhat vividly remembers the day he was a ball boy during an exhibition match between an Indian XI and Jammu and Kashmir All Stars team in Srinagar in 2019.

That match played at the floodlit TRC ground was graced by Indian football greats like Bhaichung Bhutia and Renedy Singh and J&K's former India international Mehrajuddin Wadoo.

"(As a ball boy) I was positioned behind Amrinder (Singh) paaji's goalpost. Now I'm training with him on the same pitch," the 20-year-old Bhat, who hails from the Bemina region of Srinagar, said.

Six years back, Bhat would hand the ball to Amrinder, but now he shoots at the goal guarded by the same goalkeeper during training.

First time national camper Bhat is currently training at Pathum Thani, around 40km from Bangkok, where India face Thailand in an international friendly match on Wednesday. The team then faces Hong Kong in an AFC Asian Cup Qualifier match on June 10 in Kowloon.

Should Bhat be selected for the upcoming games, he would become only the fifth player from Jammu and Kashmir to play for the national team after Abdul Majeed Kakroo and Mushir Ahmed in the 1980s, Mehrajuddin Wadoo from 2005 to 2011, and Danish Farooq Bhat, as recently as 2022.

For Bhat, who was just two months old when Sunil Chhetri scored on his India debut in 2005, it feels 'surreal' to not just train with the legend, but compete with him in the national team.

"Now I'm in the same team as Chhetri bhai. He has played for 20 years. His mentality and longevity motivate me a lot as a young player," Bhat told the-aiff.com.

Those who have watched Bhat celebrate after scoring goals for his club, Mohun Bagan Super Giant, know well that he's an ardent fan of Cristiano Ronaldo.

"Ronaldo is an inspiration because he's still going strong at 41, but you only see him on the screen. Chhetri bhai talks to me, teaches me. He is a beast. He inspires me on a daily basis on and off the pitch. I also take it as a competition. If he's 10 minutes early for gym, I try to be 15 minutes earlier," said Bhat.

His rapid rise from making it to the national teams at the U16, U19, and U23 levels to the senior side was no surprise. In 2022, he was named in the Guardian's Next Generation list of the 60 best young talents in world football.

"All the coaches (at U16, U19 and U23 levels) told me to keep the senior team as my goal. This is the next step, and I want to keep growing.

"I developed a lot under these coaches, not only the game but also the discipline. I think my mentality is my biggest strength. If I miss a shot, I go again for the next one. I don't stop." PTI PDS PDS ATK ATK