K ARUMUGAM
India’s Rio Olympic captain Sushila Chanu has joined the coveted 250 club of Indian women’s hockey. She achieved the milestone yesterday against visiting Germany in the FIH Proleague, which India won. The 32-year-old is not only a clever mind of the game in the contemporary scene but also stands as a testimony to fitness. It’s not easy to be fit and play consistently for about 15 years which she did. Only two others in the team — Savita (299) and Vandana (319) — have played more than her.
Sushila is a product of Madhya Pradesh Women’s Hockey Academy having trained under the tutelage of well-known coach Paramjit Brar since her age of 13. Later, she joined the Indian Railways, where she continues.
Sushila with her coach Paramjit Brar
The 32-year-old veteran has had an illustrious career representing India for over a decade and will go down in history as one of the most celebrated women’s hockey players of India. Sushila started her journey when she was selected for the 2nd Women’s Asian Champions Trophy in 2011. She also captained India for the Junior Women’s Junior World Cup in 2013 and earned Bronze.
Later when Ritu Rani was suddenly removed on the eve of the Rio Olympics, the mantle fell on the shoulders of Sushila, the team’s first Olympics since 1980.
In her illustrious career, which is now on its 15th year, represented India at the 2014 Asian Games where India won the bronze. The experienced midfielder was also part of India’s important Gold Medal win at the 2017 Asia Cup and has previously represented India at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games. Sushila also worked hard to ensure India’s qualification for the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020 and the team’s historic fourth-place finish in the tournament.
In 2022, Sushila helped India bag bronze medals at the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and the Asia Cup. She also played a huge role in India’s second consecutive Asian Champions Trophy win in 2024. In recognition of her relentless efforts representing the country at the world stage, Sushila was also honoured with the coveted Arjuna Award by the Government of India in 2023.
Upon reaching the special milestone Sushila stated, “I am grateful for having completed 250 international caps for my country. It has been a wonderful journey so far and I am looking forward to representing and winning for my country even more in the coming years. On this emotional and special moment, I would like to thank my family, teammates and support staff for believing in me and helping me achieve this feat. Without all my teammates over the years, I would have never achieved this, so I am thankful to everyone who has been part of my journey and helped me over the years.
“I would also like to thank Hockey India for their continued support and for giving me the opportunity to wear my country’s colours and play the sport I love so dearly. I promise to work even harder and give my everything on the field,” she added.
Congratulating Sushila, Hockey India President Dr Dilip Tirkey said, “Extremely proud to see that Sushila has played her 250th international match for India. A generational talent, she has worked very hard to reach here and we thank her for her relentless efforts on the pitch. I am sure this will inspire the younger generations, especially in Manipur from where we have seen countless special talents rise through the ranks.”
Hockey India Secretary General Shri Bhola Nath Singh added, “I am extremely happy for Sushila because this is a very big achievement and I am proud to have her in our team. Her journey over the years is truly inspiring and I am excited to see the new heights she will achieve in her career.”
Major Tournaments Sushila played
2011 Asian Champions Trophy
2012 Olympic Qualifier (Road to London)
2012 Champions Challenge Cup
2013 Asia Cup
2013: Asian Champions Trophy
2014 Commonwealth Games
2014 Asian Games
2015 SAF Games
2016 Olympics
2017 Asia Cup
2018 Commonwealth Games
2019 Olympics Test Series & many