Hockey India hails Deep Grace Ekka on 100th intl cap

Darwin: Hockey India (HI) on Friday congratulated women's hockey team defender Deep Grace Ekka for her 100th international cap during the team's final group stage match against Australia in the Four Nations Tournament here.

HI Secretary General Mushtaque Ahmad hailed the youngster for her contributions to the team, which qualified for the Rio Olympics after a long hiatus of 36 years.

"Deep Grace has been part of our path-breaking women team for a long while, and played an integral role in the qualification for the Olympics. It shows her immense talent and passion that at such a young age she has already won a 100 caps. I wish her the best for all the future games and hope she continues to shine for the team," he said in a statement.

Ekka, who reached the landmark on her 22nd birthday, made her international debut at the Four Nations Tournament in Argentina (Quilmes and Paraná) in 2011.

Hailing from Sundargarh in Odisha, Ekka was member of the team that won the International Hockey Federation (FIH) World League Round 2 in New Delhi last year besides being a part of the bronze medal winning team at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon.