Medio Ignace Tirkey returns to national reckoning after he was selected among the pruned trainees' list of Asian Champions Trophy. He then went on add another gold to his already over-crowded showcase

He comes back to the national scene after 2 years gap. It has to be conceded that the Padamshree awardee is still active and kicking to earn a name for himself in the current list

The midfield maestro Ignace Tirke is a poetry in motion when he is in form. The senior most in the Indian team after Dilip Tirkey, Ignace hails from a tribal village, Lulkidhi, in Sundergarh district, Orissa.

He joined MEG, Bangalore, as hawaldar (soldier) in 1998 after spending the preceding four years at the famous Panposh Sports Hostel and Birsa Munda High school. The half-back represented Services in the Jr. and Sr. Nationals before making his international debut in the 2001 Akber el Yom Cup and then played in the Samaranch Cup before making the senior grade at the 2001 Sultan Azlan Cup.

Succeeding Ramandeep Singh for the left-half position, he played a pivotal role in India winning four out of six titles in 2003. Ignace posted a thrilling match-winner against Pakistan in the 2003 Asia Cup final. The midfielder has hardly been dropped since 2001 and is one of the six colts who made it to the 2002 World Cup from the gold winning 2001 Jr. World Cup team.

He led India in the 2006 Pakistan Test Series and 2006 Commonwealth Games (Melbourne). He led Chennai Veerans in the 2005 PHL. He also played for the Orissa Steelers in the dysfunctional PHL.

He was recalled for the Argentina Test Series in Jan 2009, but could not go due to his marriage with Masira Surin, commonwealth Games hockey gold medallist. He returned to Indian side for the Punjab Gold Cup in 2009, and went on to win the gold at Ipoh in the Azlan Shah Cup too.

He was awarded Arjuna in 2009; Padamshree in 2010.