KOLKATA: Odisha's Deep Grace Ekka reached a milestone on Saturday as she played her 250th match for the Indian Women's hockey team. Sadly though, she couldn't make the day special as India went down to Australia in the second match of the Test series.
A backbone of Indian defence for more than a decade, Ekka not only helped the team win a host of medals over the years but also played a pivotal role as they qualified for 2016 Rio Olympics for the first time after 1980 and then took them to the semifinals of Tokyo Olympics.
Speaking of her journey, Ekka, who hails from Lulkidihi village in Sundargarh district, said, "I feel extremely proud to have represented the nation for 250 international matches. For me, it's a privilege to have the opportunity to bring joy and honour for my country by doing something that I truly love. I still get goosebumps whenever I step on the field to play for my country."
Coming from a village where people criticised her for playing hockey, Ekka didn't pay heed to her critics. With the support of her family she went ahead to pursue her dreams and eventually made her international debut way back in 2011 during a Four-Nation Tournament in Argentina and hasn't looked back since then.
Not only is she one of the senior-most players in the team at present, she also dons the cap of the vice-captain. As for her game, besides being a solid defender, she has also honed the skills of a drag flicker in recent times.
"The journey so far with the Indian team has been wonderful to say the least. Special thanks to Hockey India and Odisha State Government for showing faith in me and supporting me. I hope that we as a team reach greater heights and continue to make our nation proud," added the Arjuna Award winner in a statement.
Ekka will now have her eyes set on the upcoming Asian Games where the women's team will look to win gold and grab a place at the Paris Olympics.
Hockey India (HI) president Dilip Tirkey, meanwhile, congratulated Ekka for reaching the milestone and wished her to ‘continue her pursuit of bringing laurels to the country'.
"She is a player who not only brings stability to India's defence but also plays an important role of a penalty-corner specialist. Her contribution during the 12 years since making her debut has been immense and has seen her win many medals," said Tirkey.
