Nilakanta Sharma leaves: India’s warrior passes the sword to the next generation

Heading into the Asian Champions Trophy (ACT), there was a lot of speculation surrounding the future of four Indian hockey players. Mandeep Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas and Nilakanta Sharma were reportedly forced to retire. That was the word.

It soon cleared up and all four found themselves in the squad for the tournament in Jalandhar and Mohali. Then came match day and India beat Bangladesh 13-0 on Tuesday 27th October.

IND VS BAN IMPORTANT

In the midst of the goal feast, one strike stood out for reasons other than the score. Nilakanta Sharma just created a moment of magic.

A rebound to cap off a sensational team. The midfielder, despite being almost outside the D, found just enough space to fire a shot past the keeper.

But while the goal was spectacular, the celebration was anything but.

The usually smiling midfielder looked subdued, lost in thought. Something felt different. And soon the reason became clear.

Nilakanta decided it was time to retire from international hockey.

His teammates gathered around him, lifted him in the air and celebrated a career that had given so much to Indian hockey. But the midfielder wasn’t quite ready to leave just yet. He decided to continue playing until the end of the tournament.

“I took the decision to retire after the first game. When you are a senior player playing for a team and you keep coming and going, I feel it’s time to give someone else a chance. I played in the Olympics, I have a medal and I was thinking about all these things all night. So I made the decision myself but I talked about it with my family,” said Nilakanta.

A CLEAR CALL

Unlike the uncertainty surrounding his future a few weeks ago, Nilakanta was now clear about what he wanted. In his own words, it was not a decision forced upon him. It was a call he made himself.

His plan was to bring down the curtain after the Asian Games. But the opportunity to play in front of Punjab’s passionate hockey crowd made him reconsider the timing. He wanted the last tournament on home soil and approached Indian coach Craig Fulton with the request.

“It’s not like anyone forced me or told me to make that decision. Nothing like that happened. It was my decision,” Nilakanta said.

“I made my decision early. I spoke to the coach and asked him to give me just one chance in ACT in Punjab so that I can finish my career here,” he added.

Nilakanta also did not want to wait for someone to decide when his time was up. He wanted to leave on his own terms, similar to how he has approached his role in the Indian team over the years.

A tireless presence in midfield, the 31-year-old burst onto the scene as a youngster and went on to represent India in 163 matches, scoring 31 goals. Despite these performances, one thing remained constant: his relentless work rate.

He ran from one end of the field to the other, connecting play, chasing opponents and fighting for every shot. He never shied away from a challenge and this fighting spirit became a defining part of his game.

Perhaps that is why Fulton considers him the warrior of the Indian team.

“What a warrior. I mean, a great career, a great servant to Hockey India and his family was proud. He was proud of himself and made the nation proud,” Fulton said.

NUTRITION OF THE NEW WARRIORS

While the chapter in his playing career is set to close after the ACT, Nilakanta is not ready to retire from hockey completely. There are still ambitions for him to pursue and his next innings could see him trade the field for the trainer’s ground.

For him, his journey does not end with retirement. It’s a chance to pass on the lessons of a long international career to the next generation.

“I am ready. Whenever I return home, I train the next generation of players there. After the Tokyo Olympics, my country offered me a job and I decided to work in the sports department to train the next generation and pass on everything I learned here.”

“I’ve learned a lot under coach Graham Reid as well. Whatever I’ve learned here, I’ll use it with these players. That’s my plan for the future. It’s not like my career is over here and I’m just going to sit at home. That’s not my plan. I just want to share my experience with them.”

“In the coming days, I want to take the junior teams forward as well. In the long term, I plan to join the Indian team as a coach, be it at junior, junior or senior level,” said Nilakanta.

However, there is still a tournament left to play.

India have looked formidable in continental competitions and Nilakanta will be hoping to sign off with a memorable farewell in Mohali on November 5, potentially in front of a packed crowd.

If that moment comes, expect a final fight from the warrior. One last sprint, one last tackle, and maybe one last moment of wand-in-hand magic.

And when he finally lays down his sword, it will be with the hope that the next generation is ready to pick it up.

– The end