Nikki Pradhan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hesel, Ranchi, Bihar
(present-day Khunti, Jharkhand), India
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
8 December 1993 Hesel, Ranchi, Bihar (present-day Khunti, Jharkhand), India | ||
| Height | 1.53 m (5 ft 0 in) | ||
| Weight | 49 kg (108 lb) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Senior career | |||
| Years | Team | ||
| – | Hockey Jharkhand | ||
| – | Railways | ||
| 2025– | Soorma Hockey Club | ||
| National team | |||
| Years | Team | Caps | Goals |
| 2015– | India | 202 | (2) |
Nikki Pradhan (born 8 December 1993)[1] is an Indian field hockey player and a member of the Indian national team. Pradhan was the first female Hockey player from Jharkhand who represented India in the Olympics.[2] Pradhan was included in a 16-member squad for Rio Olympics, which also marked the return of Indian women's hockey to the Olympics after 36 years[3] after a stellar show at the Hockey World League Semifinals in 2015.[4] Pradhan was the midfielder of the Indian Women's Hockey team. Her selection to the team made her the sixth hockey player from Jharkhand to play in Olympics, bracketing her with Jaipal Singh Munda (1928), Michael Kido (1972), Sylvanus Dungdung (1980), Ajeet Lakra (1992) and Manohar Topno (1984).[2][5][6]
Pradhan was born in Hesel village in tribal heartland Khunti, roughly 60 kilometres from Ranchi, Jharkhand, on 8 December 1993, to Soma Pradhan, a Bihar police constable, and his wife, Jitan Devi, a homemaker. Pradhan is the third daughter of Soma Pradhan and Jitan Devi.[7] She belongs to Kharwar Bhogta community.[8]
Pradhan studied at Pilaul Middle School and started playing the game at a young age under the guidance of her childhood coach Dasrath Mahto.[7] She was inspired by Pushpa Pradhan, who visited school in 1999 and tell her journey to national hockey team.[9] Then she made hockey stick of bamboo and started to play.[10] Later she enrolled in the Bariatu Girls' Hockey Center in Ranchi in 2005, which has produced former Indian captain Asunta Lakra. She leave sport hostel in 2009. After passing 12th class in 2010, she had to leave hostel but she was allowed to stay in hostel and play in campus due to request.[10] After playing Jharkhand National Games in 2011, she got selected for national camp in 2012.[9]
