Midfilder Namita Toppo Announces Retirement From International Hockey
Midfilder Namita Toppo Announces Retirement From International Hockey
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Bhubaneswar: Namita Toppo, a midfielder for the India Women's Hockey Team, has declared her retirement from international play.
The 27-year-old, who has participated in over 150 international games since making her senior India debut in 2012, stated that the past 10 years have been the best of her life. "I had a dream to play for my country at the biggest stages, and I am so happy that I was able to achieve my dreams," she said in a release from Hockey India. I hope I have had a significant impact, and I am quite proud of the advancements the Indian Women's Hockey Team has made over the past ten years. As I begin a new chapter in my life, I will continue to support and cheer for the squad, she declared on Thursday.
She was a member of the Indian team that won bronze and silver medals in the 2014 and 2018 Asian Games, respectively. She is a native of the Odisha province's Sundargarh area and a graduate of the Sports Hostel, Panposh, Rourkela.
She was chosen for the U-18 Girls Asia Cup in Bangkok, Thailand in 2011, where India earned the bronze medal thanks to her performance in her state team since 2007. In the FIH Champions Challenge I in Dublin in 2012, she made her senior national team debut. At the 2013 FIH Women's Junior World Cup in Mönchengladbach, Germany, she competed for the Indian junior squad, who took home the bronze medal. She was also a member of the team that competed in important competitions including the third Women's Asian Champions Trophy and the FIH Women's World League Round 2 in 2013, both of which saw India win gold.
Toppo also competed in the 2014 Asian Games, where India earned a bronze medal, the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The two-time Asian Games medalist received praise from Hockey India for her contributions to the game. "Namita has contributed greatly to Indian hockey. Namita has not only given her all on the field, but she has also been the ideal role model for the younger members of the team, according to chief coach of the national team Janneke Schopman.
"Namita has earned every one of her 168 national team appearances; not many athletes get the chance. Toppo is not just a fantastic hockey player, but also one of the most generous persons I know. She constantly prioritises the team and is very thoughtful, he continued.
