Lagatar24 Desk
Hockey legend SV Sunil has announced his retirement; he will no longer be seen playing hockey at the international level. He has withdrawn his name from the National Camp starting from this month and with this he has announced his retirement. However, he will continue to play any shorter formats of the game.
Since 2007, he has represented India in 264 matches, scoring 72 goals. In this long career he led the forward line in the 2015 World League Final where the team won a Bronze medal. He also has a silver medal from the Commonwealth Games 2014.
The Arjuna Awardee made his international debut in 2007 at the Asian Cup in 2007 which India won after beating Pakistan in the final. Still he regrets that he could not make it to the Indian hockey team for the 2020 Olympics.
Hockey India congratulated the star striker for his contribution to Indian hockey. Hockey India President said, “SV Sunil has been an inspiration to an entire generation of young hockey players. His commitment to the game and discipline was unmatched and he has given Indian hockey some very memorable performances. On behalf of Hockey India, I congratulate him on a fantastic career. I wish him the very best for his future endeavors.”
Sunil’s decision of retirement came a day after drag-flicker Rupinder Pal Singh and defender Birendra Lakra, who played starring roles in the Indian hockey team’s historic bronze medal-winning Tokyo Olympics campaign, announced their international retirements .
