Savita Poonia and Nikki Pradhan
– Photo: Social Media
Expansion
Indian women’s hockey team captain Savita and veteran defender Nikki Pradhan on Sunday achieved the milestone of playing 250 and 150 international matches for the country during the third match against Australia in Adelaide. After making her debut in the 2009 four-nation Spar Cup tournament in Durban, Savita cemented her place in the team with good performances. In a career spanning over a decade, 32-year-old Savita has won several laurels, including the Arjuna Award.
Savita impressed during India’s fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics. She was also a part of the team that played in the 2016 Rio Olympics and the Women’s World Cup in London. Under his leadership, India won a bronze medal at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games and also won the title at the FIH Nations Cup, which qualified the team for the FIH Pro League 2023-24.
Nikki made her international debut in 2016 during the tour of South Africa. The Jharkhand-born player became the first woman hockey player from her state to represent India at the Olympics during the Rio Olympics. She was also a part of the team that participated in the Tokyo Olympics. She was part of the team that won the gold medal at the Women’s Asia Cup in 2017 and the silver medal at the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy in 2018.
