Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri has been recognised for his remarkable accomplishments. Sunil Chhetri’s love story is interesting and inspirational as well. The famous football player met his wife Sonam Bhattacharya, when he was 18 years old and played for Mohun Bagan coached by Subrata Bhattacharya.
The beginning of Sunil and Sonam's relationship was a surprising text messages that resulted in a secret relationship, which passed many years of waiting to finally end in marriage.
Sunil Chhetri’s lovestory started when she was 18 years old and Sonam was just 15 years old. Sonam had been hearing her dad, coach Subrata Bhattacharya, talk about an extremely talented young footballer named Sunil Chhetri. Wanting to meet him, she snatched his number from her dad's phone and messaged him.
Initially, Sunil had no clue about who she was. She appeared to be a sweet lady to him, and he decided to meet her. However, on meeting her, he realized that she was much younger than him. It is said that he advised her to concentrate on her studies and kept his distance from her.
They kept texting each other casually for about two months. But one day, when Sunil Chhetri was fixing his coach’s cell phone, he got a call from Sonam. It took him no time to realize that the person he was texting was the daughter of his coach.
A relationship that survived years of distance and secrecy
Fearing that this relationship might jeopardise his career in football, he informed Sonam that it would be best to stop contacting each other. After a period of a few months without any contact between them, he missed her presence and could not get her out of his mind.
Sunil Chhetri’s lovestory was a well-kept secret for many years. Because Sunil was travelling for football matches most of the time, he saw his girlfriend only a few times per year. The couple even devised smart ways to avoid drawing attention. He used to buy two tickets for movies and enter first.
Over time, Sonam became the strongest pillar for Sunil. She remained with him in all phases of his life and was there for him when he needed her the most, to face his fears. Sunil Chhetri’s love story kept on blossoming as the two kept going.
A new chapter
The two decided to get married after 13 years. Sunil Chhetri, after gathering enough courage to talk to Subrata Bhattacharya, informed him of his love for Sonam. He was relieved when the man gave his consent for the relationship.
Sonam and Sunil welcomed a baby boy in 2023 and named him Dhruv. In 2014, Sunil shared his insight into fatherhood.
“I want to be a good role model, just like my father was for me,” the 39-year-old said. “Kids nowadays learn more from what they see than what they’re told, so I want to set a good example and hope he finds inspiration in that. I don’t want to lecture my kid too much.”
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