New Delhi : Forward Nikki Pradhan completed 100 International Caps for India on Tuesday, 01 October 2019. She achieved this milestone when the Indian Women’s Hockey Team played their third match of the tour against Great Britain in Marlow, England.
Pradhan made her International debut during the South Africa Tour held in 2016. The Jharkhand-born player also became the first female hockey player from her state to represent India at the Olympics when she took part in the Rio Olympics 2016. The Women’s Hockey team qualified for the quadrennial event after a gap of 36 years post an excellent performance at the Hockey World League Semi-Finals in 2015. Her contribution to the team ever since making her debut has been immense, as she has held the fort in midfield at big tournaments like Hockey World League Semi-Finals, Women’s Asia Cup 2017, Women’s Asian Champions Trophy 2018, as well as the Hockey Women’s World Cup London 2018, where the Indian team produced a Quarter-Final finish.
Nikki Pradhan’s exploits in midfield were crucial in the Indian team’s Gold medal-victory at the Women’s Asia Cup in 2017 and the Silver medal-win at the Asian Games 2018.
“I am extremely happy to complete 100 international caps for India. It is a dream come true for me. I struggled with an injury before making my India debut in 2015, but since then I have had a good run with the national side. It was an honour to play at the 2016 Olympics and hopefully, India will see hockey rise to greater heights in the near future,” said an ecstatic Nikki Pradhan.
Congratulating the forward on completing 100 International Caps, Mohd. Mushtaque Ahmad, President, Hockey India said, “Nikki Pradhan has come a long way since she made her India debut in 2015. She made history when she became the first woman hockey player from Jharkhand to take part in the Olympics and she will certainly achieve more milestones in the future. She has worked very hard and matured as a player in the last few years. On behalf of Hockey India, I congratulate her on this feat and wish her continued success to contribute to India’s rise in International Hockey.”
The Indian Men’s Hockey team will be vying for an Olympic berth when they take on Russia in the crucial FIH Olympic Qualifiers to be held on November 1 and 2 at the iconic Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. For the very first time, the Indian Women’s Hockey team too will be playing in front of the hockey-loving people of Odisha when they take on USA in the FIH Olympic Qualifiers at the Kalinga Stadium on November 1 and 2. The excitement among the teams is palpable and they are working towards peaking at this important event.
Having represented India at the Rio Olympics after 36 years, the women’s team will be aiming to take part in their second consecutive Olympics in the history of Indian hockey and they are confident of making history. Make sure you witness history unfold at the Kalinga Stadium by booking your tickets.
Source: Hockey India
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