Playing her 150th game, Nikki Pradhan promises to earn more laurels in near future

KOLKATA: It was a special day for Jharkhand’s Nikki Pradhan as she played her 150th game for the Indian women’s hockey team when they faced off against Australia in the third match of the Test series which ended in a 1-1 draw.
Nikki, who became the first female hockey player from the state to represent India at the Olympics when she took part in 2016 Rio Games, was expectedly thrilled on reaching the milestone.
“I am extremely happy and proud to complete 150 international caps for India. It is no less than a dream for me to represent my country at the grandest of stages. It was an absolute honour for me to play at the Rio Olympics and Tokyo Olympics,” said the defender in a statement.
While she has helped the team earn a lot of laurels after making her debut way back in 2015, the team’s journey to the last-four stage at Tokyo Olympics would still be one of her best memories.
Coached by Sjoerd Marijne, the team led by the mercurial Rani Rampal created history when they beat Australia in the quarterfinals to make the semis for the first time. Sadly, they couldn’t finish on the podium as they lost to Argentina in the semis and then went down to Great Britain in the bronze-medal match.
Despite that, their feat made them overnight stars and they rode on the confidence to put up good performances over the next one year. First, they finished third in their maiden FIH Pro League in the 2021-22 season, and then bagged the bronze in 2022 Commonwealth Games. They also won the gold in the inaugural edition of FIH Women’s Nations Cup held in Spain last year.
However, it’s the future that excites her and Nikki hopes to make it count.
“I have had a good run with the national side and the journey so far has been mesmerising. It’s a crucial year for us with many major events lined up, hence, I am aiming to continue giving my best on the field and help my team attain greater heights and win laurels in the near future,” added Nikki, who have had a lot of struggles with injuries.
Coming from Khunti, she had taken up the game seriously only after hearing former India player Pushpa Pradhan speak during an event at her school in 1999. Since then, she has indeed come a long way and Hockey India president believes it’s been possible because of her sheer hard work.
“She has matured as a player in the last few years and has been instrumental in the team’s success. By becoming the first woman hockey player from Jharkhand to take part in the Olympics, she not only made history but also became an inspiration for young players from her state,” said Tirkey in a release.