Asia Cup hockey: Ace drag flicker Gurjit Kaur completes 100 international caps, India's campaign ends

Bengaluru, Jan 26: Indian women's hockey team's ace drag flicker Gurjit Kaur completed 100 international caps at the ongoing Women's Asia Cup 2022 in Muscat, Oman.

She achieved this milestone during India's semifinal match against Korea on Wednesday (January 26), which the hosts lost 2-3 as the champions were dethroned.

Since her debut against Malaysia in 2014, Gurjit Kaur has shown grit and determination to become a vital player in the Indian team. Her goals have contributed to big victories for the team in recent years, most notably so at the 9th Women's Asia Cup in 2017, Japan where she scored a total of eight goals, finishing as the tournament's third-highest goal-scorer.

She went on to contribute in the team's Silver Medal win at the Women's Asian Champions Trophy in 2018. She was instrumental in India's maiden quarterfinal at the FIH Women's World Cup London in 2018, as well as India's historic Silver Medal in Asian Games 2018. She was also part of the squad that notched up notable wins in the Commonwealth Games 2018 but missed out a Medal.

In 2019, she was the leading goal scorer at the FIH Women's Series Final held at Hiroshima, Japan in 2019 where the team won the Gold and she also took part in the 2019 Olympic Qualifiers in Bhubaneswar where India beat USA 6-5 in goal aggregate.

The 26-year-old from Punjab was instrumental in India's fourth place finish at the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020. She scored the lone goal against Australia in the Quarterfinals where India won 1-0, creating history by entering the Semi-finals of the Olympic Games for the very first time.

Apart from scoring a goal in the Semi-final against Argentina, Gurjit also scored two goals in the bronze medal match against Great Britain. Her fine performance also saw her being chosen as the FIH Women's Player of the Year award 2020-2021.

Looking back at the journey so far with the Indian Women's Hockey Team, Gurjit said, "I am very fortunate to have come into the Indian Team. We were already at the cusp of rising in our performances at the world level and I feel very fortunate to have gotten this opportunity to play in some of India's fine victories.
"I thank my teammates for being extremely supportive all these years and I also thank the seniors in the team for guiding me. I thank the coaches I have worked with so far, it is also their efforts that I am better player today. I also thank Hockey India for providing women's hockey the best training program, facilities and opportunities. We are also very fortunate to have the support of hockey fans who have given us so much love and support in the past few years."

Congratulating Gurjit on achieving 100 international caps, Gyanendro Ningombam, President, Hockey India said, "I congratulate Gurjit Kaur on achieving this wonderful milestone. She has grown to become one of the finest drag-flickers in the world and I believe she will continue to grow in her role as a defender/drag flicker for the team. I wish her the very best as she along with the team continues to achieve best results for India in world hockey."

Source: Hockey India