Sushila Chanu

Last updated

Sushila Chanu
Sushila Chanu.jpg
Chanu in 2013
Personal information
Full name Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam
Born (1992-02-25) 25 February 1992 (age 32)
Imphal, Manipur, India
Playing position Halfback
Club information
Current club Railways
Senior career
YearsTeam
Railways
National team
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2008– India 238 (8)
Medal record
Women's field hockey
Representing Flag of India.svg  India
Asian Games
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2014 Incheon Team
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2022 Hangzhou Team
Commonwealth Games
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2022 Birmingham Team
Asia Cup
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2017 Gifu
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2013 Kuala Lumpur
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2022 Muscat
Asian Champions Trophy
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2013 Kakamigahara
FIH Nations Cup
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2022 Spain
South Asian Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2016 Guwahati Team
Junior World Cup
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2013 Mönchengladbach
Last updated on: 18 July 2018

Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam (born 25 February 1992) is an Indian field hockey player. A former captain of Indian national team, she has over 150 international caps to her credit. Born in Imphal, Manipur, Chanu began playing hockey at the age of eleven, and was soon selected for the national camp. She was awarded Arjuna Award for year 2023. [1]

Contents

Chanu rose to prominence in 2013, when she led the junior women's team to a bronze medal finish at the Women's Hockey Junior World Cup at Mönchengladbach. She then made her debut in the senior national team, and was part of the squad that won the bronze medal at the 2014 Asian Games held at Incheon.

Chanu was also praised for her performance at the 2014–15 Men's FIH Hockey World League Semifinals where the Indian team upstaged such higher ranked teams as Japan for a fifth-place finish. Chanu also led the team at Rio Olympics. She plays as a halfback for the team.

Early life

Sushila Chanu was born on 25 February 1992 in Imphal, Manipur, to Pukhrambam Shyamsundar and Pukhrambam Ongbi Lata. [2] Her father is a driver and her mother is a home maker. Her great grandfather, Pukhrambam Angangcha was a successful polo player. Chanu is the second born child in the family; she has an elder sister and a younger brother. [3] Drawn towards sports from a young age, Chanu's interest increased after she accompanied her father to watch a football match during the 1999 National Games hosted in Manipur. [2]

Chanu began playing hockey at the stadium the age of eleven, having been encouraged by her uncle to pick up the sport. He got her enrolled at the Posterior Hockey Academy in Manipur in 2002. Chanu began playing in the Inter-school tournaments, and was subsequently selected for the team participating in Sub-junior and Junior National Hockey Championships, where she caught the attention of the national selection committee. [3] She is employed in the Central Mumbai Railway as a senior ticket collector, and resides in the Railways department's accommodations in Sion, Mumbai. [4]

Career

2008–2013: Junior career and World Cup bronze

Chanu plays as a halfback and has garnered attention for her defensive skills. She made her international debut at the 2008 Women's Hockey Junior Asia Cup, held in Kuala Lumpur, where India won a bronze medal. In 2009, she was dropped out of the team because of fitness issues for a brief period. During that time she graduated from the Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy, completing her course, and joined the joined Central Railways, Mumbai as Junior Ticket Collector. [3]

Chanu rose to international attention when she led the Indian junior team to a bronze medal finish at the 2013 Junior World Cup at Mönchengladbach, Germany. [5]

2014–present: Senior career, captaincy and Olympic debut

Chanu made her international debut in the senior national field hockey squad after the world cup win, and played a clinical role in the team reaching the semifinals of the 2014–15 Women's FIH Hockey World League held at Antwerp, Belgium. On returning home Chanu along with Anuradha Thokchom and Lily Chanu Mayengbam were praised for their contributions in the Indian women's hockey squad. The three women hockey players were given warm reception in their hometown. [6]

Ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics, Chanu was named the captain of the national team. [7] She led the team at the four-nation tournament in Australia that was held in May. [2] Prior to the Olympics, she struggled with a major knee injury that had her consider a knee reconstruction surgery. She returned to training after receiving eight weeks of rest and physiotherapy. Under her leadership the Indian women's team played at the Olympics after a gap of 36 years, having qualified in Antwerp. On having qualified for the Olympics she said, "At the London Olympics (2012), we didn’t qualify. The girls saw the opening ceremony at camp in Bhopal. We wanted to get there one day". However, the team finished in last place in their pool with losses against higher-ranked teams including eventual champions England. [4]

Chanu played her 150th international match in Madrid, Spain during the Indian national team's June 2018 tour of Spain. She said of the feat: "I had always dreamed of representing the country, at least once, in my lifetime, but to have [150 caps] makes me very proud". [8]

Personal life

Sushila has been described as soft spoken and also works as a junior ticket collector in the Central Mumbai Railway since 2010, a post she got through sports quota. She shares her flat with another hockey player and she shared in an interview that she is able to go home only once a year. [9]

Awards

She received the Arjuna Award from the President of India on 9 January 2024. [10] [1] [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renu Bala Chanu</span> Indian weightlifter

Yumnam Renu Bala Chanu is an Indian weightlifter, hailing from Kyamgei Mayai Leikai village located near Imphal, Manipur. She secured a gold medal in the Women's 58 kg category at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">India women's national field hockey team</span> Womens field hockey team representing India

The Indian women's national field hockey team represents India in international field hockey, and is governed by Hockey India. Nabhvarna are currently ranked 6th in the FIH World Rankings, and are ranked as the best team in Asia. They have won the gold medals at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and 1982 Asian Games. They have also won the Women's Asia Cup twice, i.e. in 2004 and 2017. They also won the Asian Champions Trophy 2016 and 2023.

Tingongleima Chanu Kshetrimayum, shortly known as Tingu, and also by a misnomer Tingonleima Chanu, is an Indian former field hockey player. She was a member of the India women's national field hockey team. She hails from Manipur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bombayla Devi Laishram</span> Indian archer

Bombayla Devi Laishram is an Indian archer. A member of the national recurve team representing India at the international events since 2007, she has won a silver medal at the World Archery Championships, and four gold, five silver, and four bronze medals at various editions of the Archery World Cup. Laishram peaked at no. 14 in the world rankings in March 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oinam Bembem Devi</span> Indian footballer

Oinam Bembem Devi is an Indian football coach and former footballer from Manipur. In 2017, she was honoured with the Arjuna Award by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. She was nicknamed the Durga of Indian Football and is currently involved in spreading awareness about Women's football in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rani Rampal</span> Indian field hockey player

Rani Rampal is an Indian field hockey player and coach. At the age of 15, she was the youngest player in the national team which participated in the 2010 World Cup. She has completed her schooling but was not able to get the graduate degree due to practice sessions and matches which were lined up. She plays forward on her team. She has played 212 international matches and scored 134 goals. She is currently the Captain for Indian Women's Hockey Team. She is also well known as a striker who often doubles up as mid-fielder. She has a great fascination with CWG. In 2020, the Government of India honoured her with the Padma Shri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balbir Singh Kullar</span> Indian field hockey player (1942–2020)

Sardar Balbir Singh Kullar was an Indian field hockey player and a Punjab Police officer. Alternative spellings of his last name include Khullar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saikhom Mirabai Chanu</span> Indian weightlifter (born 1994)

Saikhom Mirabai Chanu is an Indian weightlifter, supported by OGQ. Mirabai Chanu lifted a total of 201 kg, winning the gold medal at the CWG 2022. She won the silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the Women's 49 kg category. Mirabai Chanu has won the World Championships and multiple medals at the Commonwealth Games. She was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India for her contributions to the sport. She was awarded the sporting honour Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna by the Government of India in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ritu Rani</span> Indian field hockey player

Ritu Rani is an Indian former field hockey player, who represented the India women's national field hockey team. She also served as the captain of the national team. She plays as a halfback. Rani has led the team to medal winning performances most notably the bronze at the 2014 Asian Games. Also under her captaincy the team qualified for the Olympics after 36 years after finishing fifth in the 2014–15 Women's FIH Hockey World League Semifinals.

Eliza Nelson, née Eliza Mendonca, is an Indian field hockey player and a former captain of the women's national field hockey team of India. She received the Arjuna Award in 1981 and the Government of India awarded her the fourth highest Indian civilian honour of Padma Shri in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajani Etimarpu</span> Indian field hockey player

Rajani Etimarpu is an Indian field hockey player who represents the India women's national field hockey team. She hails from Andhra Pradesh and plays as a goalkeeper. She represents Railway Sports Promotion Board in the domestic tournaments.

Anuradha Devi Thokchom is a member of the Indian women's national field hockey team. Born and brought up in Toubul, Manipur, she began playing hockey at a young age and made her international debut in the 2006 Women's Hockey Champions Trophy. Thokchom plays as a forward for the Indian team and has more than 80 international caps to her credit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deep Grace Ekka</span> Indian field hockey player

Deep Grace Ekka is an Indian former field hockey player, who represented the India national field hockey team. She has been selected for Arjun award in 2022.

Lilima Minz is an Indian female field hockey player. Lilima hails from Bihabandh-Tanatoli village, Lanjiberna Block, Sundargarh District of Odisha. She is a product of Sports Hostel, Panposh, Rourkela, Odisha.

Deepika Thakur is an Indian field hockey player and is currently the most senior and highest capped player of Indian women's Team. She plays as a Defender in the senior team and has represented India over 200 outings and has scored 24 goals.

Nikki Pradhan is an Indian field hockey player and a member of the Indian national team. Pradhan was the first female Hockey player from Jharkhand who represented India in the Olympics. Pradhan was included in a 16-member squad for Rio Olympics, which also marked the return of Indian women's hockey to the Olympics after 36 years after a stellar show at the Hockey World League Semifinals in 2015. Pradhan was the midfielder of the Indian Women's Hockey team. Her selection to the team made her the sixth hockey player from Jharkhand to play in Olympics, bracketing her with Jaipal Singh Munda (1928), Michael Kido (1972), Sylvanus Dungdung (1980), Ajeet Lakra (1992) and Manohar Topno (1984).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lalremsiami</span> Indian field hockey player

Lalremsiami Hmarzote is an Indian professional field hockey player who plays as a forward and occasionally as a halfback for the Indian national team. At the club level, she plays for Sports Authority of India. Hmarzote was a part of the 18-member squad that represented India at the 2018 World Cup. At the Asian Games that followed, she became the first sportsperson from Mizoram to win an Asian medal after she won silver.

Suman Devi Thoudam is an Indian field hockey player from Imphal, Manipur. She has represented India internationally and plays the position of a defender. She has played 11 international matches as of July 2018.

Tikken Singh is an Indian field hockey player. He competed at the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul, where the Indian team won the bronze medal. He is from the state of Manipur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rabichandra Singh Moirangthem</span> Indian field hockey player

Rabichandra Singh Moirangthem is an Indian field hockey player from Manipur. He plays as a midfielder for the Indian national team and represents Petroleum Sports Promotion Board in the domestic tournaments.

References

  1. 1 2 "Manipur's Sushila Chanu, Roshibina Devi nominated for 2023 Arjuna Award". India Today NE. 14 December 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Aggarwal, Shreeda (13 July 2016). "Know Your Olympian: Sushila Chanu, The Women's Hockey Team Captain". The Quint . Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 Mangang, Prabin (28 August 2016). "Manipur's Rising Star – Sushila Chanu". Manipur Times. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  4. 1 2 Ray, Sarit (28 September 2016). "Ahead of Dhoni biopic, meet Sushila Chanu, Indian women's hockey captain". Hindustan Times . Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  5. ↑ "Junior hockey skipper Chanu eager to inspire peers". Hindustan Times. 8 August 2013. Archived from the original on 9 August 2013. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
  6. ↑ "3 key Indian women hockey team members from Manipur felicitated". E-Pao. 31 July 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  7. ↑ "Sushila to lead Indian women's hockey team in Rio Olympics". Business Standard . 12 July 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  8. ↑ "Indian defender Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam completes 150 international caps". Sportstar . 14 June 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  9. ↑ "Ahead of Dhoni biopic, meet Sushila Chanu, Indian women's hockey captain". Hindustan Times . 27 September 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  10. ↑ Digital Desk, Northeast Live (20 December 2023). "Manipur athletes Naorem Roshibina Devi and Pukhrambam Sushila Chanu to be conferred Arjuna Awards 2023". Northeast Live. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  11. ↑ "Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.