Sushila Chanu

{{Infobox field hockey player

| name = Sushila Chanu

| fullname = Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam

| image = Sushila Chanu.jpg

| caption = Chanu in 2013

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|02|25|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Imphal, Manipur, India

| height =

| weight =

| website =

| position = Halfback

| years1 =

| clubs1 = Manipur Hockey

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 =

| clubs2 = Railways

| caps2 =

| goals2 =

| years3 = 2025–

| clubs3 = Rarh Bengal Tigers

| caps3 =

| goals3 =

| nationalteam1 = India

| nationalyears1 = 2008–

| nationalcaps1 = 252

| nationalgoals1 = 8

| turnedpro =

| updated = 18 July 2018

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|{{IND}}}}

}}

Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam (born 25 February 1992) is an Indian field hockey player from Manipur. A former captain of Indian national team, she played her 250th international match in 22 February 2025.{{Cite web |date=2025-02-22 |title=Sushila Chanu celebrates 250th international cap for Indian women's team |url=https://thebridge.in/hockey/sushila-chanu-250th-international-cap-indian-womens-team-52210 |access-date=2025-02-24 |website=thebridge.in |language=en}} She plays as a halfback for the team.

Early life

Chanu was born in Imphal, Manipur, to Pukhrambam Shyamsundar and Pukhrambam Ongbi Lata.{{cite web |last1=Aggarwal |first1=Shreeda |title=Know Your Olympian: Sushila Chanu, The Women's Hockey Team Captain |url=https://www.thequint.com/sports/2016/07/13/know-your-olympian-sushila-chanu-the-womens-hockey-team-captain-rio-olympics |website=The Quint |accessdate=26 April 2017 |date=13 July 2016}} Her father is a driver and her mother is a home maker. Her great grandfather, Pukhrambam Angangcha was a successful polo player. Chanu has an elder sister and a younger brother. Her interest in sports began when she accompanied her father to watch a football match during the 1999 National Games hosted in Manipur.

Chanu began playing hockey at the stadium the age of eleven, having been encouraged by her uncle to pick up the sport.{{cite web |last1=Mangang |first1=Prabin |date=28 August 2016 |title=Manipur's Rising Star – Sushila Chanu |url=http://www.manipurtimes.com/manipurs-rising-star-sushila-chanu/ |accessdate=27 April 2017 |website=Manipur Times}} He got her enrolled at the Posterior Hockey Academy in Manipur in 2002. She 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. She is employed in the Central Mumbai Railway since 2010 and is a senior ticket collector. She resides in the Railways quarters in Sion, Mumbai.{{cite web |last1=Ray |first1=Sarit |title=Ahead of Dhoni biopic, meet Sushila Chanu, Indian women's hockey captain |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/a-tc-and-an-india-captain/story-nno3Z12ZXC2sTrWYx3bu9J.html |website=Hindustan Times |accessdate=26 April 2017 |date=28 September 2016}}{{Cite news |date=2016-09-27 |title=Ahead of Dhoni biopic, meet Sushila Chanu, Indian women's hockey captain |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/a-tc-and-an-india-captain/story-nno3Z12ZXC2sTrWYx3bu9J.html |access-date=2018-07-28 |work=Hindustan Times |language=en}}

Career

=2008–2013: Junior career and World Cup bronze=

Chanu 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 and she used that time to graduate from the Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy, completing her course. She later, joined the joined Central Railways, Mumbai.

She led the Indian junior team to a bronze medal finish at the 2013 Junior World Cup at Mönchengladbach, Germany.{{cite news |title=Junior hockey skipper Chanu eager to inspire peers |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/Hockey/Junior-hockey-skipper-Chanu-eager-to-inspire-peers/Article1-1104889.aspx |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130809094758/http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/Hockey/Junior-hockey-skipper-Chanu-eager-to-inspire-peers/Article1-1104889.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 August 2013 |newspaper=Hindustan Times |date=8 August 2013 |accessdate=9 August 2013}} Later, she 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.

=Senior India career, captaincy and Olympic debut=

Chanu was part of the team that reached 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 given a warm reception in their hometown.{{cite web |url=http://e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=Sport5..010815.aug15 |title=3 key Indian women hockey team members from Manipur felicitated |publisher=E-Pao |date=31 July 2015 |accessdate=27 April 2017}}

Ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics, Chanu was named the captain of the national team.{{cite news |title=Sushila to lead Indian women's hockey team in Rio Olympics |url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/sushila-to-lead-indian-women-s-hockey-team-in-rio-olympics-116071200855_1.html |work=Business Standard |date=12 July 2016 |accessdate=13 July 2016}} She led the team at the four-nation tournament in Australia that was held in May. Prior to the Olympics, she suffered a major knee injury and returned to training after eight weeks rehab. She captained the women's team that played Olympics after a gap of 36 years, after qualifying in Antwerp.

She played her 150th international match in Madrid, Spain during the Indian national team's June 2018 tour of Spain.{{cite web |title=Indian defender Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam completes 150 international caps |url=https://www.sportstarlive.com/hockey/indian-defender-sushila-chanu-pukhrambam-completes-150-international-caps/article24164567.ece |work=Sportstar |accessdate=17 July 2018 |date=14 June 2018}}

Awards

She received the Arjuna Award from the President of India on 9 January 2024.{{Cite web |last=Digital Desk |first=Northeast Live |date=2023-12-20 |title=Manipur athletes Naorem Roshibina Devi and Pukhrambam Sushila Chanu to be conferred Arjuna Awards 2023 |url=https://northeastlivetv.com/topnews/manipur-athletes-naorem-roshibina-devi-and-pukhrambam-sushila-chanu-to-be-conferred-arjuna-awards-2023/ |access-date=2023-12-21 |website=Northeast Live |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2023-12-14 |title=Manipur's Sushila Chanu, Roshibina Devi nominated for 2023 Arjuna Award |url=https://www.indiatodayne.in/manipur/story/manipurs-sushila-chanu-roshibina-devi-nominated-for-2023-arjuna-award-726100-2023-12-14 |access-date=2023-12-21 |website=India Today NE |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports |url=http://pib.gov.in/PressNoteDetails.aspx?NoteId=151772 |access-date=2024-01-09 |website=pib.gov.in |language=en}}