India ex-captain Ajay Thakur retires from kabaddi

Former Indian kabaddi team captain Ajay Thakur, a two-time Asian Games medallist, has announced his retirement from the sport at the international level.

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Thakur, who is in Melbourne for a Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) event, made the decision public through a social media post today: “Retire from international Kabaddi – last match 28 December at Melbourne, Australia.”

The 38-year-old Thakur was part of the Indian team that bagged the gold at the Incheon Asian Games in 2014. Four years later, he was captain of the team that won a bronze — the first time India did not win gold since the sport was included in the Asian Games in 1990.

Hailing from Dhabota village near Nalagarh in Solan district, Thakur rose to prominence when he won the gold with the Indian team at the 2007 Asian Indoor Games. He cemented his place in the national team and was a key contributor to India’s success at the 2014 Asiad.

Thakur’s most outstanding performance came at the Kabaddi World Cup in 2016, in which India won gold. Thakur ended up as the top raider of the tournament with 68 points, making a decisive impact in the final. He led India to victory at the Asian Kabaddi Championship the next year.

Thakur, one of the star players of the Panchkula since its launch in 2014, had sought exemption from Panchkula-9 in 2022. Said to be at loggerheads with the state kabaddi association, he had resigned as captain of the state team in 2022.

Thakur was bestowed the Padma Shri and Arjuna Award in 2019. He was honoured with the Parshuram Award, the highest award for a sportsperson in Himachal Pradesh, the same year.

Formerly employed with the Indian Airlines, Thakur joined the Himachal Pradesh police in 2017 as is employed with them as a DSP.