India’s two-time Olympic medallist Gurjant Singh announced retirement from international hockey on Friday and said it is the appropriate time to walk away from the game after he lost his place in the national team because of a back injury last year.
Gurjant represented India in 130 matches and was part of the teams that won a gold medal at the 2023 Asian Games in China, also consecutive bronze medals at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics.
The 31-year-old announced his retirement during the eighth Hockey India Annual Awards ceremony, held at New Delhi on Friday.
“Since June Pro League last year I was forced to sit out of the senior team due to a back injury. I was out of hockey for nearly 7-8 months,” Gurjant told PTI.
“After that, I played Hockey India League and domestic hockey but never could return back into the side. So I felt it is the appropriate time to quit and give the juniors a chance.” He, however, will continue to play in the HIL, club and domestic hockey.
“I will continue to play in the HIL, domestic hockey and also looking for club hockey opportunities abroad,” said Gurjant, who is employed with the Sports Department in the Punjab government.
A career spanning 10 years, Gurjant scored 33 goals since making his debut for the national team in 2017. His rise from the junior ranks to India’s senior team was rapid as he played a key role to help India win the 2016 Junior FIH World Cup in Lucknow, when he scored in the final.
Gurjant was also part of India’s gold medal-winning side at the 2023 Asian Games and 2017 Asia Cup, besides multiple Asian Champions Trophy titles. He was honoured with the Arjuna Award in 2021.
Gurjant also holds the record for scoring the fastest goal by an Indian in international hockey, when he scored just 13 seconds into the game against the Netherlands in his FIH Pro League debut in January 2020 in Bhubaneswar, which India won 5-2.
“I started my hockey journey by looking up to the seniors sitting in this room and to have fulfilled my dream of playing for India alongside them is something I will always treasure,” he said.
Gurjant was felicitated by Hockey India during the awards ceremony with a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh.
“I feel incredibly satisfied to have been part of the historical revival of Indian hockey and to have achieved two Olympic medals. I leave the international stage a very happy and proud man,” he also said.
