New Delhi, April 14: Vandana Katariya is a name held in high regard in Indian women’s hockey. Over the past decade, she has played a pivotal role in elevating the sport in India.
Born on April 15, 1992, in Roshanabad (formerly Uttar Pradesh, now Uttarakhand), Vandana made a significant mark as a forward.
She was selected for the Indian junior team in 2006 and earned a spot on the senior national team in 2009. Vandana gained fame as India’s top scorer during the 2013 Women’s Hockey Junior World Cup, where India secured a bronze medal.
Her career highlights include being part of the Indian team that won a bronze medal at the 2014 Asian Games. In the same year, she received the Hockey India Player of the Year Award. During the 2014-15 FIH Hockey World League Round 2, she finished as the tournament’s top scorer with 11 goals.
Having captained the Indian team, Vandana represented India at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Although the team lost in the finals of the Asian Champions Trophy in 2018 against Korea, she was named Player of the Tournament. At the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, Vandana became the first Indian woman to score a hat-trick in hockey.
On August 8, 2021, she was appointed as the brand ambassador for the government’s ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ initiative. In March 2022, she was honored with the Padma Shri for her exceptional contributions to hockey and has also received the Arjuna Award. Throughout her international career, Vandana represented India in 320 matches, scoring 158 goals. On April 1, 2025, she announced her retirement from international hockey.
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