Former Indian Hockey captain Shashi Bala passes away

Shashi Bala, the former captain of the Indian Women's Hockey team perished in an accident on Sunday, the 21st of June in Punjab while travelling with her 15-year-old son.

45-year-old Shashi was travelling with son Agrim Thakur were fatally injured in the accident, which occurred in the Ropar-Nawanshahr-Phagwara area.

Bala captained the women's hockey team in 1997, leading them at the FIH Women's World Cup Qualifiers that year, held in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare.

Hockey India president Narinder Batra released a statement following Bala's untimely death:

“Hockey India is deeply saddened by the untimely demise of former India women team captain Shashi Bala and her son Agrim Thakur. The entire Indian Hockey fraternity expresses its grief on losing a prominent personality, who was known for her immense contribution towards Indian Hockey."

Her death is a sad loss to the Indian sporting community.