Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam’s Personal Details
Name: Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam
Date of Birth: 25 February 1992
Birthplace: Imphal, Manipur, India
Position: Halfback (Midfielder/Defensive Midfielder)
Sushila Chanu was born in Imphal, Manipur. She grew up in a modest household with an elder sister and a younger brother. Her interest in sports began in 1999, when she accompanied her father to watch football matches during the National Games hosted in Manipur. Inspired by the sporting environment, she soon developed a passion for athletics.
At the age of 11, her uncle encouraged her to take up hockey, enrolling her at the Posterior Hockey Academy in Manipur in 2002. Chanu quickly progressed through inter-school tournaments and later represented Manipur in Sub-Junior and Junior National Championships, where she caught the attention of national selectors. Since 2010, she has been employed with Central Railway, Mumbai, and works as a Senior Ticket Collector, residing in the railway quarters in Sion, Mumbai.
Sushila Chanu made her international debut in 2008 at the Women’s Junior Asia Cup in Kuala Lumpur, where India won a bronze medal. In 2009, she briefly dropped out of the national setup and used the time to complete her training at the Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy. After completing the course, she joined Central Railways, Mumbai, while continuing to pursue hockey.
A major milestone in her junior career came in 2013, when she captained the Indian junior team to a bronze medal at the Junior Women’s Hockey World Cup in Mönchengladbach, Germany. Following her junior success, Chanu established herself in the Indian senior women’s hockey team. She was part of the Indian squad that won the bronze medal at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon. Her consistent performances in midfield made her a key figure in India’s defensive structure.
India reached the semi-finals of the 2014-15 FIH Women’s Hockey World League in Antwerp, Belgium, a performance that played a crucial role in securing Olympic qualification. Ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics, Sushila Chanu was appointed captain of the Indian women’s hockey team. Under her leadership, India returned to the Olympic Games after a 36-year gap, marking a historic moment for Indian women’s hockey. Despite suffering a serious knee injury before the Olympics, Chanu recovered after eight weeks of rehabilitation and returned to training to lead the squad.
Her leadership and experience helped shape a new generation of Indian women’s hockey players. Her career milestones progressed as she reached new heights of representation: International Debut: 2008 – Junior Asia Cup, Junior World Cup Bronze: 2013 (Captain), Asian Games Bronze: 2014 – Incheon, India Captain: 2016 Rio Olympics, 150th International Match: 2018 – Spain Tour, 250th International Match: 22 February 2025
Awards & Recognition:
Arjuna Award (2024) – One of India’s highest sporting honours, awarded by the President of India for her outstanding contribution to Indian hockey.
