Nilakanta Sharma Calls Time: Tokyo Bronze Medallist to Retire After Asian Champions Trophy
He marked the occasion with a goal. Then he told everyone it was nearly over. Nilakanta Sharma announced on Tuesday that he will retire from international hockey once India’s Asian Champions Trophy campaign ends. The 31-year-old midfielder from Manipur made the announcement after the 13-0 win over Bangladesh in Jalandhar, a match that was his 163rd international appearance. He scored India’s sixth goal, a reverse-stick shot from the top of the circle in the 26th minute, his 20th goal for his country. Hockey India congratulated him for his contribution to Indian hockey.
It’s easy to see why. Nilakanta’s career reads like a tour of modern Indian hockey’s best years. He won the Junior Asia Cup in 2015, then played a key role in India’s triumph at the 2016 FIH Men’s Junior World Cup in Lucknow. His senior debut came against Belgium in 2017, and he quickly became the dependable presence in midfield that every good team needs, the player who does the unglamorous work and lets everyone else shine.
The medals followed. He was part of the side that shared the Asian Champions Trophy title with Pakistan in 2018, won the FIH Men’s Series Finals in Bhubaneswar in 2019, and then played his part in the defining moment of this era: the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, ending India’s 41-year wait for an Olympic hockey medal. There was silver at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022, gold at two consecutive Asian Games, and World Cup appearances in 2018, 2023 and 2026.
For our money, that’s the kind of career that doesn’t get the headlines it deserves. Midfielders rarely do. Nilakanta was never the drag-flicker or the goal machine. He was the link, the calm head, the man who kept the ball moving when games got tight. India will miss that more than people realise.
He still has a tournament to finish. India face China on Thursday, Japan on Friday, Malaysia on Sunday and South Korea on Monday, with the semi-finals and medal matches in Mohali on 4 and 5 November. If this is the farewell, it deserves a proper ending. A sixth Asian Champions Trophy title would do nicely.
Related links:
https://sportscursor.com/india-13-0-bangladesh-mandeep-hat-trick-asian-champions-trophy-27-october-2026/
https://sportscursor.com/asian-champions-trophy-table-day-1-india-malaysia-japan-27-october-2026/
https://sportscursor.com/asian-champions-trophy-rest-day-wednesday-india-china-thursday-27-october-2026/
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