Odia Hockey Star Deep Grace Ekka Gets Married to Defence Personnel Anoop Lakra

Sundargarh: Deep Grace Ekka, the Odia hockey star who announced her retirement from International games recently, married Indian Army personnel Anoop Lakra on February 6.

Deep Grace Ekka exchanged wedding vows with Anoop Lakra at Lulkidihi church under Balishankra block in Odisha’s Sundargarh district. This ceremony was attended by her fellow hockey players and prominent dignitaries of the region.

According to reports, Ekka got engaged to Lakra, on January 26. Ekka hails from Lulkidhi village in Sundargarh district while Lakra is an inhabitant of Deogaon village of Subdega block in the same district.

Ekka is serving the East Coast Railway (ECoR). Lakra has also represented Odisha in national-level hockey matches in the past.

Ekka represented the Indian women’s hockey team in 268 matches between 2011 and 2023. She announced her retirement from international games on January 27. She is also a recipient of the Arjun Award in 2022.

She was Indian women’s hockey team’s defender and penalty corner specialist. Among her prized possessions are a bronze medal from 2014 Asian Games and silver from 2018 Asian Games, as well as Women’s Asia Cup gold (Japan 2017). She was also a member of the Indian team that won bronze in the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.