Jalandhar: Star midfielder Nilakanta Sharma on Tuesday announced that he will bring his international career to a close after India's campaign at the Asian Champions Trophy 2026, IANS reported. Hockey India congratulated the Manipuri veteran for his contribution to Indian hockey, the report said.

Source: IANS

The announcement came on an emotional evening at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar. Nilakanta made his 163rd international appearance in India's opening match against Bangladesh and scored one goal — his 20th in the international arena — as India won 13-0, IANS reported. DevDiscourse, carrying the match report, also confirmed that Nilakanta announced his retirement following the match and that this tournament will be his last appearance in the India jersey.

Source: DevDiscourse

The 31-year-old from Manipur will retire as one of the most decorated modern-day Indian players. He was part of India's historic bronze-medal-winning campaign at the Tokyo Olympics, which ended the country's 41-year wait for an Olympic hockey medal, and of gold-medal triumphs at two consecutive Asian Games, IANS reported. He also represented India at the 2018, 2023 and 2026 Men's Hockey World Cups and won silver at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Nilakanta first made his mark in junior hockey, winning the 2015 Junior Asia Cup before playing a key role in India's triumph at the 2016 FIH Men's Junior World Cup in Lucknow. He made his senior international debut against Belgium in 2017 and was a member of the Indian team that won the Asian Champions Trophy in 2018, sharing the title with Pakistan, and the side that secured the FIH Men's Series Finals in Bhubaneswar in 2019, IANS reported.

India's next match at the Asian Champions Trophy is against China on October 29. The league stage runs in Jalandhar until November 2, before the semi-finals and medal matches shift to Mohali on November 4 and 5, DevDiscourse reported.

Source: DevDiscourse