Kolkata, Sep 19, 2022, IANS

Kolkata, Sep 19 (IANS): Talismanic India footballer Sunil Chhetri has said it would have been a "shame" had an Army kid like him not been able to win the Durand Cup in his professional life, adding that while a two-decade long wait for the prestigious trophy was a long one, it was worth it in the end.

Chhetri's side Bengaluru FC won their first-ever Durand Cup title, overcoming Mumbai City FC 2-1 in the final at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) here on Sunday.

Siva Sakthi and Brazilian Alan Costa scored for Bengaluru FC (BFC) while Apuia got the lone goal for Mumbai City FC (MCFC) in what was a fine display of end-to-end football.

Chhetri took to social media to express his joy on winning the trophy, posting images and tweeting that winning with the Bengaluru FC side was extra special.

"Two decades is a bit of a wait, but if it meant doing it in the blue of Bengaluru, then it was worth every season of trying. Durand Cup Champions -- would have been a shame if an Army kid playing football professionally never had the chance to say this. Come on, BFC!" tweeted Chhetri, 38.

According to Wikipedia, Chhetri was born to KB Chhetri, an officer in the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers of the Indian Army, and Sushila Chhetri. His father played football for the Indian Army's team while his mother and her twin sisters played for the Nepal women's national team.

Captain Chhetri also had a couple of golden opportunities to score on Sunday, once in the 69th minute, when his left-footed strike missed the target and then again in the 87th when he was one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but the custodian brought off a great save.

Chhetri's tweet has since gone viral getting thousands of likes and re-tweets.