Sunita Lakra announces retirement from international hockey

Indian women’s hockey team defender Sunita Lakra announced her retirement from international hockey on Thursday. The 28-year-old defender has been a vital member of the Indian squad since 2008. She represented the country in the last Olympics.

“Today is a very emotional day for me as I have decided to retire from International Hockey. I had been part of this wonderful journey with the Indian Women’s Hockey Team since 2008 and through this journey we have seen many ups and downs but we remained as one unit, giving each other the strength and motivation to remain strong and fight all the odds to excel and bring laurels to the country,” Lakra said in a statement.

“I was very fortunate to have played in the Rio Olympics in 2016, India’s first appearance in over three decades. Many people told me it was a historic moment for women’s hockey in India but I always believed this team can achieve so much more,” the defender said.