Both vandana

Hockey India Secretary General Bhola: Hockey India today felicitated two stalwarts of Indian Hockey – former women’s hockey team forward Vandana Katariya and former Indian men’s hockey team forward Lalit Kumar Upadhyay – for their outstanding contributions to the sport. Both players had recently announced their retirements from international hockey, marking the end of two illustrious careers that inspired a generation of players and fans alike.

The felicitation took place in Rajgir on the sidelines of the ongoing Men’s Asia Cup, Rajgir, Bihar 2025. As a token of appreciation, Hockey India presented cheques of Rs 5 lakh each to Vandana and Lalit, acknowledging their dedication and service to the national teams.

Vandana, who officially retired in April, concluded a glittering career spanning more than 15 years. With 320 international caps and 158 goals, she departs as the most-capped player in Indian women’s hockey history. Since her senior team debut in 2009, Vandana has been at the forefront of Indian hockey’s biggest milestones, most memorably India’s historic fourth-place finish at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where she became the first and only Indian woman to score a hat-trick at the Games.