FULL NAME: Deep Grace Ekka
BORN: 3rd June, 1994 (Source: Hockey India)
GENDER: Female
FAMILY: Father (Charles Ekka), Mother (Jayamani Ekka), Husband (Anoop Lakra)
HOME ADDRESS: Village- Lulkidihi, Block- Balisankra, District- Sundargarh, Odisha, India.
ACADEMIC EDUCATION: Not known
TYPE OF PLAYER: Full back
HOME CLUB/ACADEMY: At the age of 13, she joined SAI-SAG Centre, Sundargarh in September, 2007.
RECEIVED COACHING FROM: Initially coached by Tej Kumar Xess (2005-06) but after joining the SAI-SAG centre in 2007 she is training under Lucela Ekka and Saroj Mohanty.
INTERNATIONAL CAPS: 268 (As on 5 November 2023)
MAJOR ACHIEVEMENT:
NATIONAL:
* Helped Orissa win the title in National School (U-17) Hockey Championship in 2009.
* Helped Orissa finish runners-up in the hockey event of the Women’s National Sports Festival at Bhopal in 2010.
* She was a member of the Orissa Orissa team that finished third in the inaugural Hockey India Senior National Championship at Sonepat in 2011.
* Represented Orissa in the 34th National Games at Ranchi (Jharkhand) in 2011.
* Selected by Hockey India to join the Senior National Women Coaching Camp to be held at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi from December 27 to February 15, 2011.
INTERNATIONAL:
* She was vice-captain of the Indian team that won the Gold medal in the 7th Women Asian Champions Trophy Hockey Tournament in Ranchi, Jharkhand on 5 November 2023.
* She was the vice-captain of the Indian women team that won the Bronze medal at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China on 7 October 2023. Scored 4 goals in six matches.
* She was vice-captain of the Indian Senior Women Team that lost all 3 matches (2 against Germay, 1 against China) during their tour of Germany between 16-19 July 2023.
* Became the third Indian woman to play her 250th international match in the second of the three-game Test Series against Australia at Mate Stadium in Adelaide on 20 May 2023.
* She was the vice-captain of the Indian team that won the Gold medal in the 1st FIH Womens Nations Cup, held in Valencia, Spain from 10-17 December 2022.
* She was vice-captain of the Indian Women Team that won the Bronze medal at the 22nd Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England on 7 August 2022.
* She was vice-captain of the Indian team that finished joint ninth in the 15th Women Hockey World Cup, held in the Netherlands and Spain from 1-17 July 2022.
* Played 12 matches for Indian Women Team that finished third on debut in the FIH Pro League on 22 June 2022.
* She was the vice-captain of the Indian team that won the Bronze medal at the Womens Asia Cup Hockey Tournament in Muscat on 28th January 2022.
* She was one of two vice-captains of the Indian women team that finished 4th at the Tokyo Olympic Games in Tokyo on 6th August, 2021. She played eight matches.
* She was part of the Indian Women Team that drew 3 and lost 4 matches during their tour to Argentina from 18-31 January, 2021.
* She was part of the Indian team that won three and lost two in their five-match New Zealand Tour from 25 Jan-5 Feb, 2020.
* She was part of the Indian women that booked ticket for 2020 Tokyo Olympics, beating USA 6-5 on aggregate in the double-leg FIH Qualifiers, held at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar on 1-2 Nov, 2019.
* She was part of the Indian women team that drew the five-match series against Great Britain, held in Marlow, England from 27 Sept-4 Oct, 2019.
* Achieved the milestone of completing 200th International Cap for Indian women hockey team in a Test match against Great Britain in Marlow on 2 Oct, 2019.
* She was part of the Indian senior women team that emerged champions at the Olympic Test Event, held in Tokyo from 17-21 August, 2019.
* She was part of the Indian team that emerged champions in the FIH Womens Series Finals, held at Hiroshima, Japan from 15-23 June 2019.
* She was part of the Indian team that won the 3-match women test series 2-1 against South Korea, held at Jinchun, Korea from 20-24 May 2019.
* She was the vice-captain of the Indian women team that won the 5-match bilateral hockey series 4-0 against Malaysia, held at Kualamumpur, Malaysia from 4-11 April, 2019.
* She was part of the Indian team that lost in the quarterfinals of the 14th Women’s Hockey World Cup, held in London from July 21 to August 5, 2018.
* She was part of the Indian women team that drew the five-match series against Spain, held in Madrid from June 12-18, 2018.
* She was part of the Indian team that won the Silver medal in the 5th Women Asian Champions Trophy Hockey Tournament, held at Donghae City, South Korea from May 13 to 20, 2018.
* She was part of the Indian women team that secured Silver medal from the Jakarta Asian Games in 2018.
* Achieved the milestone of completing 150 International Caps for the country in the Gold Coast 2018 XXI Commonwealth Games against Malaysia on April 6, 2018.
* She was part of the Indian team that won the Gold medal Women’s Hockey Asia Cup after a gap of 13 years at Kakamigahara city in Japan on Nov 5, 2017.
* She was a member of the Indian women’s team that won one and lost three matches during their Europe Tour (Netherlands and Belgium) from Sept 8 to 18, 2017.
* She was part of the Indian women’s team that lost a five-match test series 0-5 against New Zealand, held in New Zealand from May 14 to 20, 2017.
* Completed her 100th international cap in India’s final group stage match against Australia on her 22nd birthday at the Four-Nation Women Tournament at Darwin in Australia on June 3, 2016.
* She was a member of the India team that finished sixth in the Hawkes Bay Cup Women Hockey Festival, held at Hasting in New Zealand from April 2 to 10, 2016.
* She was a member of Indian women hockey team that won five matches, drew one and lost two on its South Africa tour, which took place from Feb 20 to March 1, 2016.
* She was also part of the Indian team that won the Asian Champions Trophy in 2016.
* She was part of the Indian team that won the FIH World League Round 2 in New Delhi in 2015.
* She was a member of the Indian women team that finished seventh in the Hawkes Bay Cup Tournament, held at Hastings in New Zealand from April 11 to 19, 2015.
* She was a member of the Indian women hockey team that won the Bronze medal in the 17th Asian Games at Incheon (South Korea) on October 1, 2014.
* She was part of the Indian women team that finished fifth in the 20th Commonwealth Games, held in Glasgow from July 23 to August 3, 2014.
* She was a member of the Indian team that won the women’s hockey test series 6-0 against Malaysia held at Kualalumpur from June 9 to 17, 2014.
* She was part of the senior Indian team that won the Silver medal in the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy in 2013.
* She was part of the Indian team that won the Bronze medal in the Women’s Hockey Asia Cup in 2013.
* She was a part of the Indian team that made history by winning the Bronze medal for the first time in Women`s Junior Hockey World Cup at Monchengladbach in Garmany on July 4, 2013.
* Represented Indian senior women`s team in the FIH World League (Round 2) held at New Delhi from February 18 to 24, 2013.
* Helped India win the Bronze medal in the U-18 Girls` Asia Cup Hockey Championship at Bangkok (Thailand) in 2011.
* Made her international debut in the Four-Nation Tournament in Argentina in 2011.
OTHER IMPORTANT INFO:
* On 20 February 2024, Odisha Government announced a cash award Rs 3.75 lakh in her favour for representing the Indian team that won the gold medal at the Womens Asian Championship Trophy 2023, held in Jharkhand.
* Married Indian Army personnel Anoop Lakra at Lulkidihi church, Sundargarh on 6 February 2024.
* Announced her retirement from international hockey on 27 January 2024.
* On 8 October 2023, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced a cash award of Rs 50 lakhs for Deep Grace for playing a prominent role in India winning the bronze medal at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
* Received the Pargat Singh Award for Defender of the Year 2021 in women category on 17 March 2023.
* On 14 November 2022, she was selected to be conferred with the Arjuna Award for the year 2022.
* Received cash award of Rs 50 lakh from Uttar Pradesh Government as member of the Indian women hockey team that finished 4th at the Tokyo Olympics at a felicitation ceremony in Lucknow on 19 August, 2021.
* Received cash award of Rs 10 lakh from Odisha Government as member of the Tokyo Olympics semifinalists Indian women hockey team and Rs 5 lakh as Player with maximum number of defensive tackles at a felicitation ceremony in Bhubaneswar on 17 August, 2021.
* On 11 August 2021, Odisha Olympic Association transferred to her account a cash award of Rs 50,000 for helping Indian women hockey team reaching semifinals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
* On 11 August 2021, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik felicitated her with cash award of Rs 50 lakhs in Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar.
* On 8 March, 2020, she was felicitated with Hockey India Milestone Award along with Rs 1 lakh and trophy for completing 200 International Caps.
* She was felicitated with Ekalabya Award citation and a cheque Rs 50,000 by IMPaCT at Xavier Institute of Management in Bhubaneswar on January 7, 2018.
* Bagged the 24th Ekalavya Award second runner-up prize of Rs 50,000 in Bhubaneswar on November 2, 2016.
* On August 29, 2016, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik felicitated her with a cheque of Rs 5 lakh for representing India in Rio Olympics 2016.
* On July 26, 2016, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik directed Odisha Mining Corporation to provide her a special incentive of Rs 10 lakh for participation in Rio Olympic Games.
* Odisha government on October 10, 2014 announced a cash award of Rs 75,000 lakh for Deep Grace for helping India win women`s bronze medal in the 17th Asian Games at Incheon.
* Odisha Cricket Association on Oct 2, 2014 announced a cash award of Rs 10,000 for Deep Grace for helping India win the bronze medal in the 17th Asian Games at Incheon.
* On August 11, 2014, Mahanadi Coalfields Limited felicitated with a cash award of Rs 1 lalkh for helping India win bronze medal in the 2013 Junior Women Hockey World Cup in Germany.
PROFILED FIRST UPLOADED: 7 October 2011
PROFILE LAST UPDATED: 21 February 2024