After creating and establishing a successful career with several medals and titles achieved through immense hard work and dedication from the athlete, there have been times when they have had to sustain disappointment when it comes to fitness. Some of the Indian female athletes discussed below took early-age retirement because of injury and health problems. Their journey, however, remains notable to be discussed.
Dipa Karmakar – Gymnast
The former Indian gymnast is an Olympian and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist who hails from Agartala, Tripura. She is India’s first female gymnast to compete at the Olympics. The 32-year-old is also among the few gymnasts in the world to perform the Produnova vault at the 2016 Rio Summer Games.
Last year she announced her retirement, citing her history of injuries, including a broken ankle, knee, and shoulder ligament tears, and a wrist fracture.
She is India’s most successful of all time, who was born with a postural deformity, a flat foot. Her latest achievement was a gold medal win in vault at the Asian Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Championships 2024 in Tashkent. She got her first-ever medal at the continental meet. She has been honoured with the Padma Shri and Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna awards for her contribution to sports.
Ashleigh Barty – Tennis
The former Australian tennis player announced her retirement at the age of 25. She is the first player from her home country to win an Australian Open singles title in 44 years. Her reason for retirement was due to physical and mental exhaustion.
Barty has won three Grand Slam titles: the 2019 French Open, the 2021 Wimbledon and the 2022 Australian Open. She was ranked world no. 1 for 114 consecutive weeks since her win at the 2019 French Open.
Shannon Miller – Gymnast
The seven-time Olympic medallist retired at the age of 23. She is the only female athlete to be inducted two times into the US Olympic Hall of Fame.
She has won 59 international and 49 national medals, the majority in gold. In 2011, she was diagnosed with cancer and graduated in marketing. She also started her own company for women’s health.
Her achievements include seven Olympic medals, World All-Around Champion in 1993 and 1994, 1995 Pan Am Games All-Around gold medallist, and five medals in Barcelona.
Lilima Minz – Hockey
Making her international debut for the Indian women’s hockey team in 2011, the midfielder has scored 12 goals in 156 matches as part of the Women’s Hockey Team.
She announced her retirement in 2022 at the age of 27.
Minz was part of the squad in the bronze medal win at the 2014 Asian Games, the silver medal at the 2018 Asian Games, and the gold medal at the 2019 FIH Women’s Series Finals held in Hiroshima. She was part of the historic 4th-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics.
Nisha Millet – Swimming
Arjuna Award winner Nisha Millet is the first Indian to qualify at the Olympics and represented the country at the 1998 Asian Games, the 1999 Perth World Championship, the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and the 2004 World Championships in Indianapolis.
Her achievements include the Afro-Asian Games and SAF Games, 14 gold medals at the 1999 National Games and being the first Indian female swimmer to break the one-minute record in the 100m freestyle.
After undergoing a back injury in 2002, she missed her chance in the 2004 Olympics, following which she announced her retirement from competitive swimming the same year at the age of 22.
