Sag centre

Hockey India President Padma Shri: Seasoned defender of the Indian women's senior team, Deep Grace Ekka on Saturday announced her retirement from international hockey, ending a decade-long journey as a member of the national team. Ekka, who missed the recently concluded Olympic Qualifiers in Ranchi, called time on her illustrious career through a social medal post on Saturday.

A deep defender and a penalty corner expert, the 29-year-old from Lulkidhi, Sundergarh, Odisha, has earned 268 caps for India and scored 24 goals.

Ekka's sojourn in international hockey began as early as 2011 when she was only 17 years old. She made her international debut in the Four-Nation Tournament in Argentina and then went on to play in the U18 Girls Asia Cup in Bangkok, Thailand and her strong performance led her to become a regular feature in the National Camp.