Vandana Katariya — part of some of the team’s biggest triumph — retires from international hockey

Vandana Katariya retires from Indian women's hockey team after 15 years, leaving behind a legacy of hard work and dedication.

After 320 international appearances and 158 goals spread over 15 years that saw her become irreplaceable in the Indian women’s hockey team, Vandana Katariya has decided to call it a day.

On Tuesday, speaking soon after she announced her decision to retire from international hockey through a social media post thanking her teammates, coaches and supporters, its magnitude was not lost on the 32-year-old.

“I have agreed to talk but honestly, I don’t know what to say. I am blank at the moment, both in words and thoughts. Crying, laughing, feeling both happy and sad, I am not in the zone to explain myself. And all I want is to spend some time with my team, people who have been my friends and family all these years,” she admitted.

There were no tears, but the blankness on her face was perhaps a lot more telling, as was the voice that looked on the verge of breaking but never did, controlled by the veneer of professionalism that has marked her career all through – so much so that when she missed out on the Paris Olympics qualifiers in 2024 after a freak hit to the face a day before the tournament started. It was the only injury-related exclusion in her long association with the national team. It also led to a series of ‘what ifs’ on India’s broken Paris dreams.

“Honestly, one player cannot do anything, it’s a team effort. But yes, I would have definitely tried to give more than 100 percent, do my best for the team, and maybe I could have helped, my experience and hard work bringing something that would have been useful for the team. But the past cannot be changed,” she smiled sadly.

As the most capped female Indian hockey player ever, Vandana has been part of some of the team’s biggest triumphs, a workhorse who forced the spotlight on herself not through histrionics but her sheer presence, pace, and contribution to the team.

Even as the seniormost player in the team, her lightning runs down the sidelines, her ability to find the gaps, the precise angles to score and the ability to set up players upfront when no space was evident made her invaluable. Her fist pumps on scoring were the only trace of aggression in someone who often tried to sneak away once the match was over.