Jude Menezes calls it a day

India's hockey goalkeeper Jude Menezes has decided to call it a day, as he will be migrating to New Zealand with his family next month.

Menezes said he informed Indian Hockey Federation president K P S Gill and secretary K Jothikumaran about his decision in a faxed message on Tuesday.

"With a heavy heart, I regret to inform that I will not be available to represent the country in the future," his message said.

The Bharat Petroleum officer represented the country in two World Cups, in 1998 and 2002, and was a member of the team which won the Champions Challenge in Kuala Lumpur in December.

Menezes also played with distinction in the Sydney Olympics last year. He made his debut for the country in 1992 with the junior team and went on to don the senior team's colours five years later.

"I have no regrets; am happy with the way my career went," said Menezes.

The 30-year-old from Mumbai said his happiest moment was when India beat Pakistan in the Prime Minister's Gold Cup in Dhaka last year.

"I was thrilled that we had beaten our arch rivals," he said.

Reacting to the news of Menezes's retirement, former India coach Cedric D'Souza said "India has lost a matured goal-keeper".

D'Souza said all goalkeepers take time to mature and Menezes had bloomed into a fine custodian.

He added: "Jude was a confident goalkeeper and I have very good memories of him.

He was an asset, but more than that he was a fantastic teamman."

"The big thing about him," said D'Souza, "was that for the past year he was helping Devesh Chauhan [India's second goalkeeper] to prepare in taking over."

"There were times when he would voluntarily vacate the post for the latter," he informed.