The Intercontinental cup match between India and Kenya at the Mumbai Football arena on June 4 has officially sold out.
The Intercontinental cup match between India and Kenya at the Mumbai Football arena on June 4 has officially sold out.
This news comes a day after Indian football captain Sunil Chhetri has launched an impassioned plea for fans to show their support by attending matches. Only 2,569 fans had turned up to watch the national side's latest match in Mumbai on Friday, a 5-0 win over Taiwan at a stadium that can hold 20,000 spectators.
Chhetri is the country's leading scorer with 59 goals and bagged a hat-trick in the opening match of the Intercontinental Cup, a four-team tournament also featuring New Zealand and Kenya.
"All the fans, who came out in Mumbai to support us... thank you. It means the world to us," the 33-year-old said in a video posted on Twitter.
"But, I'm making this video not for you guys, I'm going to speak, appeal and request all of you, who did not come. To everyone, who is not a football fan... please come and watch us."
"We will make sure that once you come watch us, you will not go back home the same person."
"To all of you, who support big European clubs and support 'your' European club with so much passion and sometimes you feel that 'the level is not same and why waste your time?' Agreed," Chhetri said in the video with his hands folded."
"The level is not the same, not even close but with our desire and determination, we will make sure and try our best to make it worth your while.
"To all of you, who have lost hope and do not have any hope in Indian football, I request you to come and watch us in the stadiums."
Chhetri had a request for all the arm-chair critics of Indian football - please abuse but make the 'Blue Tigers' feel relevant. "I mean it's not fun to criticise and abuse on internet. Come to the stadium, do it on our face, scream at us, shout at us, abuse us, who knows one day we might change you guys, you might start cheering for us. You guys have no idea how important you guys are and how important your support is," the skipper appealed.
Following Chhetri's video, Indian cricketer Virat Kohli took to social media and asked everyone to show support.
In his video message, Kohli said, “In support of what my good friend and Indian captain Sunil Chhetri posted sometime back, I want to request everyone to go and watch Indian football play. Anyone who loves any kind of sport, go and cheer for the team in the stadiums because they are working hard, they are a talented team and I have seen these players evolve and learn over the last few seasons and get so much better at their game.”
It looks like Chhetri's video has had the desired effect as tickets for India's Intercontinental Cup match vs Kenya at 8 pm on Monday night have been sold out.
India play Kenya on Monday and New Zealand on Thursday, and Chhetri implored fans to fill the stadium even if only to criticise the national side.
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