After nine years and 163 international caps, 31-year-old Nilakanta Sharma has decided to hang up his boots. The announcement came after India’s 13-0 thrashing of Bangladesh in the opening match of the Asian Champions Trophy (ACT) at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium on Tuesday evening. The midfielder from Manipur said the ongoing ACT would be his final assignment with the Indian team.
As a farewell gesture, his teammates tossed him into the air three times to celebrate his achievements.
Sharma’s decision had been anticipated, as he became the first among four senior players being discussed as part of a smooth transition plan ahead of preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The other names are Mandeep Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh and Amit Rohidas, all of whom have represented India over an extended period. Sharma was part of India’s bronze medal-winning squad at the Tokyo Olympics and the gold medal-winning teams at the 2022 and 2026 Asian Games.
He rose from his village, Kontha Ahallup in Manipur’s Imphal East district, to represent the country at the highest level.
“I discussed (retirement) with the coach during the recent Asian Games. I told him that I wanted to bid adieu in the next tournament, as I felt it was the right time for me. I told him to give me a chance to say goodbye after the ACT in Punjab. He agreed on the condition that we win gold in Nagoya and qualify for the 2028 Olympics. If we had not won gold there, I don’t think I would have been playing here at all,” smiled Sharma, who now hopes to train young children in Manipur. He was offered a job in the Manipur Sports Department after India’s bronze-medal feat at the Tokyo Olympics.
Sharma 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 established himself as a dependable midfielder. In 2018, he was part of the Indian team that won the Asian Champions Trophy, where India shared the title with Pakistan, and the side that clinched the FIH Men’s Series Finals in Bhubaneswar in 2019.
At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, he was a member of the Indian team that won bronze, ending the country’s 41-year wait for an Olympic hockey medal. He also represented India at the 2018, 2023 and 2026 Men’s Hockey World Cups and won silver at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
“The Olympic bronze medal was one of the biggest moments of my career, but I feel extremely fortunate to have played the last two matches at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan and won another Asian Games gold medal after Raj Kumar Pal suffered a hand injury and I was included in the squad. I am very satisfied with the decision. I am getting a chance to walk off the field on my own terms, which is the biggest thing a player can ask for. I have seen a lot of players who continue for too long and then suddenly get discarded. That is never a good feeling, and I didn’t want that for myself,” Sharma said after the match.
Hockey India Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh said: “Nilakanta Sharma has been a valuable member of Indian hockey, and his contributions to the team over the years will always be appreciated. His commitment, hard work and understanding of the game have helped India achieve success on the international stage. On behalf of Hockey India, I thank him for his service and wish him the very best for the next chapter of his life.”
