New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI): Olympic bronze medal-winning Indian hockey player Rupinder Pal Singh on Thursday announced his retirement from international hockey with immediate effect to make way for youngsters. "I would like to inform you about my decision to retire from the Indian hockey team. The past couple of months have undoubtedly been the best days of my life. Standing on the podium in Tokyo along with my teammates with whom I have shared some of the most incredible experiences of my life was a feeling I will cherish forever," Rupinder wrote in a statement posted on his official Twitter handle. Tokyo Olympics 2020: Simranjeet Singh, Rupinder Pal Singh Star as India Beat Spain 3-0 in Men's Hockey. 

"I believe it is time for me to make way for young and talented players to experience every great joy I have felt in these last 13 years of representing India." The 30-year-old Rupinder, regarded as one of the best drag-flickers of the country, represented India in 223 matches.

Rupinder was an integral part of the Indian hockey team that won the bronze medal in the 2020 Tokyo Games this year, ending a 41-year-old medal drought for the eight-time Olympic champions.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)