Former India hockey striker S V Sunil retires
- ByManjeet Singh | October 1, 2021
Indian striker SV Sunil has announced his retirement from international hockey, marking the end of a 14-year career that culminated in him helping his team win gold at the 2014 Asian Games.
The veteran hockey player’s decision comes a day after drag-flicker Rupinder Pal Singh, a key member of India’s bronze medal-winning campaign in the Tokyo Olympics, announced his retirement from international hockey on Friday.
Sunil, 32, a native of Karnataka, was not part of the team competing at the Tokyo Olympics. The Indian player said it was time to make way for younger players and help form a winning team for the future.
The senior player appeared in 264 India matches, striking 72 goals. He said that it was now “… time to take a break. More than 14 years after I wore India colors for the first time, I have decided to make myself unavailable for the national camp which begins next week,”
Sunil, who grew up playing hockey with bamboo sticks due to his family’s limited resources, said via Twitter. “It was not the easiest decision to make, but it was not the toughest either, given that I did not make it to the team for the Tokyo Games. The omission put a question mark on my future as a player, in the 11-a-side format. “With the 2024 Paris Olympics three years away, I think, as a senior player it is important that I make way for youngsters and help in building a winning team for the future,” he added
The President of Hockey India, Gyanendro Ningombam, congratulated Sunil for his contribution to Indian hockey. “SV Sunil has inspired an entire generation of young hockey players with his dedication to the game and discipline. “He has produced some very memorable performances for Indian hockey.”
Sunil has stated that he will continue to be available to play the five-a-side version of the game.
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