After nine years and 163 international caps, 31-year-old Nilakanta Sharma announced his decision to hang his boots. His decision came after Indian team’s 13-0 drubbing of Bangladesh in the Asian Champions Trophy (ACT) opener, at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium, on Tuesday evening. The Manipur midfielder announced that the ongoing ACT will be his last assignment with the Indian team.As a farewell gesture, the Indian hockey players tossed him into the air thrice to celebrate his achievements.Sharma’s call was expected, as he becomes the first of the four names in talks for the ‘smooth transition’ process, ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics preparations. The other three names are of Mandeep Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh and Amit Rohidas, all of whom have played for India for a significant stretch. Sharma, a midfielder from Manipur, was part of India’s bronze medal-winning squad at the Tokyo Olympics, and gold winning teams of 2022 and 2026 Asian Games.He rose from his village Kontha Ahallup in the Imphal East district of Manipur, to represent the nation at the highest level. “I discussed (about taking retirement) with the coach during the recent Asian Games. I told him that I want to bid adieu in the next tournament, as I felt it’s the right time for me. I told home (the coach) to give me a chance to say goodbye after the ACT in Punjab. He agreed on the condition that we win gold in Nagoya and qualify for the 2028 Olympics. If we had not got gold there, I don’t think I would have been playing here at all,” smiled Sharma, who now wishes to train young kids back in Manipur. He was given a job in the Manipur Sports Department, after the Tokyo Olympics feat.He first made his mark in junior hockey, winning the 2015 Junior Asia Cup before playing a key role in India’s triumph at the 2016 FIH Men’s Junior World Cup in Lucknow. He went on to make his senior international debut against Belgium in 2017, and established himself as a strong midfielder. In 2018, he was a member of the Indian team that won the Asian Champions Trophy (where India shared the title with Pakistan), and the side that secured the FIH Men’s Series Finals in Bhubaneswar in 2019. In the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, he was part of the Indian team that won bronze to end the country’s 41-year wait for an Olympic hockey medal. He also represented India at the 2018, 2023 and 2026 Men’s Hockey World Cups and won silver at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.“The Olympic bronze medal was one of the biggest moments of my career, but I feel extremely fortunate to play the last two matches at the Asian Games 2026 in Japan and win another Asian Games gold medal, when Raj Kumar Pal suffered a hand injury and I was included in the squad. I am actually very satisfied with the decision. I am getting a chance to go out on the ground, which is the biggest thing a player can ask for. I have seen a lot of players who continue to drag and suddenly get discarded. That is never a good feeling and I didn’t want that for myself,” shared Sharma on the sidelines after winning the match.Hockey India Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh said, “Nilakanta Sharma has been a valuable member of Indian hockey, and his contributions to the team over the years will always be appreciated. His commitment, hard work and understanding of the game have helped India achieve success on the international stage. On behalf of Hockey India, I thank him for his service and wish him the very best for the next chapter of his life.”