India play out goalless draw against Kuwait in Chhetri's last international match
Kolkata, Jun 6: The talismanic Sunil Chhetri's last international match ended in an anticlimax as a profligate India were held to a goalless draw by visiting Kuwait in their 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifier here on Thursday.
In a country deprived of major footballing success, it was not a fitting farewell for a man who had created an alternative universe for the spectators of the beautiful game in this part of the world.
The result put India in an extremely difficult position to make it to the third round of the qualifiers.
After the draw, India have collected five points and play Asian champions Qatar in their final match on June 11. Kuwait, who have four points, will face Afghanistan on the same day.
The 39-year-old Chhetri ended his glorious 19-year international career as the fourth most prolific scorer in international football with 94 goals, behind Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo (128), Iran legend Ali Daei (108) and Argentine wizard Lionel Messi (106).
It's an astounding feat for a player from a country like India and FIFA had acknowledged Chhetri's legendary status when he announced his international retirement on May 16.
Chhetri bid an emotional adieu to the international game in front of a jam-packed 68000-capacity Salt Lake Stadium with his parents Kharga and Sushila, wife Sonam Bhattacharya and a host of officials and former players in attendance.
He will, however, continue playing club football for "two more years". He has a contract with the Indian Super League side Bengaluru FC till next year.
Chhetri had scored in his debut match against Pakistan on June 12, 2005 in Quetta in a 1-1 draw but not on Thursday, though the game ended in a draw this time also. He also did not have much to show for in the whole match.
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Karnataka PSI exam postponed second time in one day; New date to be announced soon
Bengaluru: The Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) recruitment exam, scheduled for September 28, has been postponed due to a scheduling conflict with the UPSC examination on the same date. Karnataka Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwar made the announcement on Thursday through an official press release, stating that a new exam date will be finalized and communicated in the coming days.
The Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) was set to conduct the PSI exam for 402 posts on September 28, a date that was already rescheduled from its original plan of September 22. However, with the UPSC exam coinciding on the same day, the decision was taken to avoid clashes and allow candidates to appear for both exams.
Dr. Parameshwar also addressed delays surrounding the final selection list for 545 PSI posts from a previous recruitment drive during the BJP administration. Irregularities in that recruitment process had led to the cancellation of results and legal challenges. Despite conducting a re-examination under court approval, the final selection list is still pending due to ongoing legal proceedings.
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The minister acknowledged that there has been no PSI recruitment in Karnataka for the past four years. Given the additional time required for the selection process, including document verification, training, and a two-year probationary period, efforts are being made to expedite the recruitment for 402 PSI posts.
He also revealed plans to recruit an additional 600 PSI posts following this exam. Addressing concerns about previous recruitment scandals, Dr. Parameshwar emphasized that investigations are underway to uncover corruption that occurred during the BJP rule. While clarifying that the current government is not pursuing "hate politics," he warned that if BJP continues such tactics, the Congress government may have to respond accordingly.
