Antwerp, Jun 23 (UNI) Veteran forward Lalit Kumar Upadhyay on Monday announced his retirement from international hockey, bringing the curtains down on a remarkable career that spanned over a decade- from 2014 to 2025.
Lalit, announced his decision through a social media post shortly after India’s final match of the European leg of the FIH Pro League 2024-25 season against Belgium. He featured in four matches during the tour, and his final appearance for 'team India' was against Australia on June 15.
Lalit was an excellent playmaker who would also score goals on a regular basis, in total he played 183 matches for the senior national team, scoring 67 goals. Over the years, he became a trusted name in India’s forward line, known for his versatility, on-field intelligence, and calm demeanour in high-pressure situations.
From making his debut at the 2014 Hockey World Cup to standing tall on the Olympic podium twice, Lalit’s career is a timeline of some of Indian hockey’s biggest milestones in the modern era. He was a crucial part of the squad that scripted history at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, helping India clinch a long-awaited Bronze medal, and repeated the feat at the Paris 2024 Olympics, reinforcing his reputation as a big-match player.
Apart from Olympic glory, Lalit was instrumental in India’s victories at the 2016 Asian Champions Trophy, 2017 Asia Cup- where he netted four goals- and multiple other podium finishes. His medal-laden career includes a Bronze at the Odisha Men’s Hockey World League Final 2017, Silver at the FIH Men’s Champions Trophy 2018, Bronze at the 2018 Asian Games, and Gold at the 2018 Men’s Asian Champions Trophy. He was also part of the squads that finished third in the FIH Pro League 2021-22 and won Gold at the Asian Games 2022 in Hangzhou.
In recognition of his contributions to Indian hockey, Lalit was honoured with the Arjuna Award in 2021.
UNI RKM