Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], June 14 : In a match against Vanuatu in Bhubaneswar, India's sturdy centre-back Sandesh Jhingan earned his 50th international cap.
Jhingan shared his aspirations to have many more such days, thoughts on India's performance in the Intercontinental Cup so far, hopes to finally win the SAFF Championship and the importance of a grand Indian show on the grand AFC Asian Cup stage next year.
After reaching the big milestone, Jhingan said that he never settles for anything and will always aim for higher.
"Of course, it means a lot. Every time I step onto the pitch, wear the jersey, sing the national anthem and represent my country, it's for me, personally, the greatest honour of my sporting career. 10-15 years ago, I used to watch the Indian team batch of Bob Houghton and the likes of Sunil Chhetri, Climax Lawrence and the whole team back in the day, dreaming of playing for the country one day. And now, sitting here and having made my 50th appearance, I would probably say well done to that kid who saw the dream from the streets of Chandigarh. I'm so happy for that kid," Jhingan told AIFF.com.
"Going forward, the sky's the limit always. I've always lived my life by this mantra. Never settle for anything, always aim higher. And yeah, the target is now 100 appearances. But one game at a time, do as much service as I can for the country, as long as I'm valuable, as long as I am providing the goods and doing well. I'll just enjoy every appearance and then let's see how long I can go," he added.
On March 12, 2015, 21-year-old Sandesh Jhingan stepped onto the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium pitch in Guwahati wearing the blue of India for the first time.
A momentous occasion for the Chandigarh-born lad, and on a significant stage too - the first round of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers against Nepal.
The young but brave Jhingan partnered Arnab Mondal in central defence for a well-earned clean sheet in a 2-0 victory during what were difficult times for the Blue Tigers, who were placed at 173, the lowest-ever rank in national team history. But tough times make tough men, and Jhingan hopes to go on to write his name as one of the nation's best defenders.
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