Nirmal Chettri
Encyclopedia
Nirmal Chettri is an Indian
professional footballer who plays for Kingfisher East Bengal F.C.. He captained the Sikkim team in the 2009 Santosh Trophy
in the absence of Baichung Bhutia
. He is no relation to Sunil Chhetri.
however while at the mini SAARC competition representing the Sports Academy of Sikkim, a defender was injured and Chettri took his place. The coach decided that Chettri was better as a defender and played him in that position from that day onwards. After the competition Chettri was scouted by scouts from Air India FC and Chettri eventually signed for them as a youth team member.
based club Air India FC. During a friendly match against FC Bayern Munich
under 23s, their manager Gerd Müller
praised Chettri saying that "East Bengal’s number three (Nirmal Chettri) was brilliant". Chettri replied to this by saying, "I am delighted with his (Gerd Muller) compliment as he was such a great player. It is always good to get such praise from great players but I will not get carried away and will work hard as I have a long way to go." He has established himself as a regular in East Bengal's first team sense.
debut against Maldives in the SAFF Championship Final of 2009.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
professional footballer who plays for Kingfisher East Bengal F.C.. He captained the Sikkim team in the 2009 Santosh Trophy
Santosh Trophy
Santosh Trophy is an annual Indian football tournament which is contested by states and government institutions. The first winners were Bengal, who also lead the all-time winners list with 31 titles till date....
in the absence of Baichung Bhutia
Baichung Bhutia
Baichung Bhutia is an ex Indian footballer. He is currently contracted by the club he owns, United Sikkim. He is considered to be the torchbearer of Indian football in the international arena. He plays for United Sikkim FC. He is often nicknamed the Sikkimese Sniper because of his shooting skills...
. He is no relation to Sunil Chhetri.
Early Career
Chettri was originally a StrikerStriker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
however while at the mini SAARC competition representing the Sports Academy of Sikkim, a defender was injured and Chettri took his place. The coach decided that Chettri was better as a defender and played him in that position from that day onwards. After the competition Chettri was scouted by scouts from Air India FC and Chettri eventually signed for them as a youth team member.
East Bengal
Chettri moved to Kingfisher East Bengal F.C. in 2009 after two seasons at the MumbaiMumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
based club Air India FC. During a friendly match against FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
under 23s, their manager Gerd Müller
Gerd Müller
Gerhard "Gerd" Müller is a former German football player and one of the most prolific goalscorers of all time.With national records of 68 goals in 62 international appearances, 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga games and the international record of 66 goals in 74 European Club games, he was one of the...
praised Chettri saying that "East Bengal’s number three (Nirmal Chettri) was brilliant". Chettri replied to this by saying, "I am delighted with his (Gerd Muller) compliment as he was such a great player. It is always good to get such praise from great players but I will not get carried away and will work hard as I have a long way to go." He has established himself as a regular in East Bengal's first team sense.
International
On December 13, 2009 Chettri made his India U23India national under-23 football team
The India U-23 is the national team which represents India at U-23 level. India U-23 participated in Asian Games. They are also a dominant force in South Asian Games.-2012 Olympics:...
debut against Maldives in the SAFF Championship Final of 2009.