Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s Sunelita Toppo has been selected in the Indian women’s hockey squad for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, to be held in Japan from September 18 to October 2, 2026.
The 19-year-old girl, who was part of the Indian team that won the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy in Rajgir two years ago, plays as a midfielder and forward. Jharkhand’s Salima Tete will lead the 20-member squad.
Sunelita’s rise has been anything but straightforward. Growing up in Odisha, she began playing hockey with a bamboo stick because her family couldn’t afford proper equipment. Even the first hockey stick she received from a coach was broken.
Those humble beginnings, however, make her appreciate how dramatically hockey infrastructure has evolved in the state. “When I started, we played on mud grounds. Now young players begin on turf itself. There are turf grounds even near my village, so I can continue practicing whenever I go home. That has made a huge difference,” she said.
She also highlighted the role of senior players in helping youngsters settle into the national setup. “The coaches teach us the system, but the seniors explain situations from their own experience. They never make us feel like juniors. They guide us constantly, and that has helped me improve a lot, said Sunelita.
She believes India’s biggest leap since the Tokyo Olympics has been its understanding of structure and fitness. While the hunger to win always existed, Sunelita feels the team’s tactical maturity has grown significantly under the current coaching group.
With the Hockey World Cup and the Asian Games looming, India knows tougher challenges await against the world’s elite. But if the Nations Cup was a statement of intent, the conversations inside the Indian camp reveal something equally important, a team that has stopped measuring itself by past performances and has begun believing it belongs among the very best.
The next few months will determine whether that belief can translate into medals. For now, India heads into the biggest phase of the cycle carrying not just momentum, but a renewed sense of purpose.
INDIAN SQUAD
- Goalkeepers: Savita Punia, Bichu Devi Kharibam
- Defenders: Ishika Chaudhary, Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Lalthantluangi, Jyoti, Shilpi Dabas
- Midfielders: Nikki Pradhan, Sakshi Rana, Sunelita Toppo, Salima Tete (c), Neha, Deepika Soreng
- Forwards: Lalremsiami Hmarzote, Rutuja Pisal, Navneet Kaur, Deepika, Ishika, Baljeet Kaur, Beauty Dungdung.
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