About

DilipTirkey is a former Indian field hockey player, Politician and Sports Administrator. His former playing position was of full back. He was best known for his penalty hit. Shri Dilip was one of the most difficult defenders (because of his tight marking skill near goal post) to beat in the world and was known as "The Wall of Indian Hockey “He was an ex-captain of Indian hockey Team. The first & only Hockey player from India to play more than 400 international matches. Dilip Tirkey was the Former Captain of the Indian Hockey Team. Having played 412 international matches for India, Dilip Tirkey has represented India in 3 Olympic Games & was Captain of the Indian Hockey Team at the 2004 Summer Olympics at Athens. Under his captaincy, India clinched gold medal at the 2003 Afro-Asian Games by defeating arch-rivals Pakistan in the Final. The First-ever Tribal to receive Padma Shri Award, Shri DilipTirkey is also a former Member of Parliament of India in Rajya Sabha, former Chairman of Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC), Chairman of Odisha Hockey Promotion Council& Hockey Odisha's ad-hoc committee. In September 2022, he became President of Hockey India.