India's Durga Thakur promoted as FIH international umpire

NEW DELHI: India's Durga Thakur has been promoted to international outdoor umpire by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) following her good performance at the recently-held Hawkes Bay Cup in Hastings, New Zealand.

Thakur started her career as an umpire from the third Hockey India Sub-Junior Men & Women National Championship (Finals) in Bhopal in 2013.

A graduate of NSNIS in 2011, her first international assignment came in 2015 at the double six-Nation Cup in Breda, Netherlands.

A physical education teacher at Modern School, New Delhi, Thakur has represented her state Himachal Pradesh in the National Championships in three sporting disciplines --- handball, basketball and hockey. She was one of the umpires in the finals of the last National Games.

Thakur is an addition to a crop of young Indian umpires currently officiating at the international level. The list currently has 14 Indians in the elite league of international umpires (10 men, 5 women).

Congratulating her on the achievement, Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad, secretary general of Hockey India said, "It is an extremely proud moment for us at Hockey India to have added another name to the list of international umpires. We have a dedicated professional and upward moving Indian women team. Durga is young, passionate and very committed to her job. We are proud of her achievements and congratulate her on her promotion."