XtraTime Web Desk: Another crown on the feather as the skipper of Indian football team, Sunil Chhetri received their Padma Shri Awards from President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Saturday.
Gautam Gambhir and Sunil Chhetri were among the eight sportspersons conferred with the Padma Shri Award in 2019. Archery star Bombayla Devi and basketball player Prashanti Singh also received the honour from President Kovind on Saturday.
Chhetri has grown into one of the most celebrated footballers in the country. The Bengaluru FC captain is among the highest active scorers in international football. He had gone past Argentina great Lionel Messi’s tally when he scored a brace in India’s AFC Asian Cup win over Thailand in January. Chhetri also marked himself as the all time highest goalscorer among the Indians and holds the tag of one of the finest footballers ever to born in the country.