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Indian hockey defender Surender Kumar completed 150 international caps for India in the ongoing FIH Pro league on Saturday (March 19). He touched the milestone during India's first match of the two-legged tie against Argentina at the iconic Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
Although the Indian men's hockey team went down 1-3 against Argentina during their first match, it turned out to be a memorable one for the defender.
Speaking on completing the milestone, Surender said:
"It is no doubt a special occasion to complete 150 matches, a milestone achieved on home ground. I feel very fortunate to have had this incredible opportunity of representing India in these many matches. I look forward to working hard, and continue to strive for the team's success. I thank my teammates for their support and I also thank our coaching staff for helping me become the player I am today."
Hockey India President Gyanendro Ningombam also congratulated Surender on his achievement.
The Hockey President said:
"Surender has been a hardworking member of the Indian defence and I congratulate him on completing 150 International Caps for India. He definitely has a long way to go in the team if he continues to work hard and strive to be best in his role. I wish him the very best as India prepare to excel in some of the most important tournaments this year."
Indian hockey defender Surender Kumar's major achievements
Surender Kumar was part of India's historic 2021 Tokyo Olympic bronze medal stint, and has played a pivotal role for India whenever he gets the chance.
The Karnal-born defender made his debut in 2012 and was part of the 2013 FIH Junior Men's World Cup squad. He made his international debut for the senior team at the Men's Asian Champions Trophy in 2013.
After a lot of hard work and a series of good performances during the Hockey India League and domestic circuit, Surender cemented his place in the senior team. Ever since then he has been a part of almost all the major tournaments with the Indian side.
He was a part of the 2016 Rio Olympics, Hero Men's Asia Cup 2017, FIH Men's Hockey Champions Trophy 2018 and 2018 Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup Bhubaneswar.
Surender has also been a part of India's various memorable moments such as Bronze Medal-winning campaign at the 18th Asian Games Jakarta-Palembang, Hero Asian Champions Trophy Muscat 2018 glory and the gold medal-winning campaign at the FIH Series Finals 2019 in Bhubaneswar.
