Mumbai: Former India captain and Olympian Viren Rasquinha announced his retirement from international hockey here on Tuesday to pursue his education.

The midfielder, an Arjuna awardee, represented the country for eight years and also led the Maratha Warriors team in the Premier Hockey League from 2004 to 2007.

Rasquinha said he wanted to do his masters in business administration and was preparing for that for the last six months and had secured admission at the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad. “I wouldn’t be available for the Beijing Olympics (later this year) and I have informed the IHF (Indian Hockey Federation) and Indian coach Joaquim Carvalho about my decision,” Rasquinha said at a news conference.

He felt it was time for him to move ahead in life and face new challenges and added that he played for India with pride and dignity and wished to retire in the same manner.

“I have nothing but fond memories of my association with the Indian hockey and it was an extremely hard decision for me, but now I have to move ahead,” he said.

Rasquinha said one of his best memories was when he was part of the team that won the junior World Cup in Hobart, Tasmania, in 2001.        (PTI)