Indian hockey midfielder Nilakanta Sharma has announced his decision to retire from international hockey, confirming that the ongoing Asian Champions Trophy (ACT) will be his final tournament in the national jersey.
The 31-year-old, who has represented India for nine years, revealed his decision on Tuesday, bringing an emotional end to a career highlighted by an Olympic bronze medal and several major international achievements.
Nilakanta was part of India’s victorious 2016 Junior World Cup squad before successfully establishing himself in the senior national team. He also played a role in India’s historic bronze-medal triumph at the Tokyo Olympics.
Speaking after India’s opening Asian Champions Trophy match, the midfielder revealed that he had decided to step away during the recent Asian Games in Nagoya.
“My retirement decision was actually taken after the first game at the Nagoya Asian Games. I slept over it through the night and thought about it, talked to my family and the coach also. As a senior player, many times when you play day in and day out for so many years, there is sometimes a thought of moving on. I thought I had played a lot, I had an Olympic medal and it was time to let others get a chance,” Nilakanta told Sportstar.
The experienced midfielder explained that he wanted to leave international hockey on his own terms rather than continue until he was no longer selected.
“I am actually very satisfied with the decision. I am getting a chance to go out on the ground, which is the biggest thing a player can ask for. I have seen a lot of players, big names, legends even, who keep playing and continue to drag and then one fine day, suddenly, they are out, discarded. That is never a good feeling and I didn’t want that for myself,” he added.
Nilakanta also revealed that coach Craig Fulton had agreed to his farewell appearance at the Asian Champions Trophy in Punjab, provided India successfully defended its Asian Games gold medal and secured qualification for the Los Angeles Olympics.
“I told the coach to give me a chance to say goodbye after the ACT in Punjab. He agreed on the condition that we won gold in Nagoya and qualify for LA Olympics. If we had not got gold there, I don’t think I would have been playing here at all,” he explained.
Looking ahead, Nilakanta has expressed interest in coaching young players in Manipur, where he already shares his experience with aspiring hockey talents.
His departure marks the conclusion of a successful international journey, with the midfielder hoping to contribute to Indian hockey’s future from the sidelines.
Image credits: Toru Hanai/ Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
