Dilip Tirkey (born 25 November 1977), is a former captain of the Indian field hockey team, politician and sports administrator.

[10] While Tirkey wore the blue jersey of the Indian national hockey team, his swift footwork and wizardly interception of the ball put him in the ranks of the world's best defenders.

[22] On 22 March 2012, he was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha as one of the three Biju Janata Dal (BJD) candidates to the Upper House of Indian Parliament.

[29] The Founder – President of DTSRD is Dilip Tirkey[30] Career as administrator He declined to become a national selector on 16 July 2010, three days after he was offered the post by the Indian Hockey Federation.

Under the Captaincy of Dilip Tirkey Orissa Steelers team won the 2007 edition of Premier Hockey League.

In 2005 Hyderabad Sultans won the inaugural season of Premier Hockey League under Captaincy of Dilip Tirkey.

[32] In 2005 Dilip Tirkey led the team Sindh Qalandars that won the inaugural season of Pakistan's SHL (Super Hockey League).

[28] In 2016, Dilip Tirkey Sports Research and Development Foundation organized one of the largest hockey tournaments in the world,[41] The Biju Patnaik Rural Hockey Championships, for the tribals of Odisha, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh which was inaugurated by the vice president of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

The objective of the tournament was to bring about a sports culture in the Naxal-infested regions and ensure that the tribal youth pick up hockey sticks and not guns.

[30] Speaking at the inauguration of the Tournament, Vice President of India, Hamid Ansari said, "I've never seen such a gathering of players of a single sport.

[43] Renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik and former Indian hockey team captain, Padma Shri awardee Ignace Tirkey were the brand ambassadors of this Biju Patnaik Rural Hockey Championship that took place under the aegis of Dilip Tirkey Sports Research and Development Foundation.

[44] DTSRD has also taken initiatives to develop sports infrastructure by getting an artificial hockey pitch laid in Saunamara village of Sundergarh district.

In 2012 Dilip Tirkey became a Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha from Odisha representing Biju Janata Dal party.

[54][55] In 2018 Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik appointed Dilip Tirkey as Chairman of Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) to promote tourism in the state[56][57] Dilip Tirkey represented the state of Odisha in the upper house of Parliament from 22 March 2012, to April 2018.

[64] In 2010 Dilip Tirkey made his acting debut in Cinema of Odisha by playing a role in Ollywood movie Toro Moro Katha Heba Chup Chap.

[67] Actor turned politician Anubhav Mohanty was supposed to play the role of Dilip Tirkey in this Biopic.

[7] Dilip Tirkey endorsed a regional Odia cable network "Ortel Communications" as its brand ambassador.