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India’s senior hockey stars expressed shock at reports of their retirement after the Asian Champions Trophy, stating that Hockey India never informed them of any such decision.
Nilakanta Sharma and Amit Rohidas with their Asian Games gold medals (Picture credit: Instagram @amitrohidas_30)
India’s four veteran hockey players, who are supposed to play their final match in the national colours in the upcoming Asian Champions Trophy, have said that they found out about Hockey India’s move through the media and expected the board to inform them before making such a decision.
According to a report in PTI, Mandeep Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas and Nilakanta Sharma would make their final appearances for India at the Asian Champions Trophy, scheduled to be held in Punjab from October 27 to November 5.
Taken aback by the development, the players expressed disappointment, insisting they were eager to continue representing India and had been looking forward to future assignments, including the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“We found out through the media ourselves; they should have at least informed us before making such a major decision. After winning a gold medal for the country (at the recent Asian Games), we deserve at least that much respect,” one of the players said while speaking to PTI.
Another player said that they had been busy preparing for felicitation ceremonies after their Asian Games gold-medal win when the sudden development came as a dampener, taking the wind out of their sails.
“I have been receiving a barrage of calls asking if I had decided to retire. I was shocked because I had never said any such thing; we have been talking about preparing hard for the Los Angeles Olympics,” another player said.
“So, how did this happen suddenly? I had reached this stage after a lot of hard work and was performing well. I was optimistic about the future after the Asian Games gold,” the player added.
Speculation had been mounting for some time that Hockey India was planning a major overhaul of the men’s team, with an eye on introducing fresh faces ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
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Ask News18Mandeep Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, and Nilakanta Sharma are reportedly set to make their final international appearances for India at the upcoming Asian Champions Trophy.
Ask News18October 13, 2026, 23:45 IST
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