Ashish Ballal

Full Description: Ashish Kumar Ballal, born on October 8, 1970, is a retired Indian field hockey goalkeeper. He represented India in 275 international matches, including the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, the 1990 World Cup, three Champions Trophy tournaments (1989, 1993, 1996), two Asian Games (1994, 1998), and two Asia Cups (1989, 1993). Ballal gained widespread recognition in India for his heroic performance in the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games final against South Korea, where he saved two tie-breaker goals. As the captain of the Indian team, Ballal led them to victory, securing the Asiad hockey gold in Bangkok after a gap of 32 years.