From Bamboo Stick To World Cup: How Sunelita Toppo Chased Her Hockey Dream
Once a midfielder, Sunelita was gradually moved forward as coaches recognised her explosive pace, quick reactions and ability to exploit gaps.
Bhubaneswar: Long before the roar of a Hockey World Cup stadium, Sunelita Toppo’s hockey journey began on a dusty village ground in Odisha’s Sundargarh district—with bare feet and a bamboo stick.
On August 18, the 19-year-old forward gave India’s home fans another reason to remember her name, scoring in the 11th minute against South Africa to help her team make a winning start to its World Cup campaign. She is the only player from Odisha in the Indian squad.
For Sunelita, however, the journey to the world stage has been anything but easy.
Born on April 11, 2007, in Kukuda village under Rajgangpur block, she grew up in a farming family. Her father, Suresh Toppo, could not afford a hockey stick, let alone specialised equipment. So he handed his daughter a bamboo stick.
She trained barefoot.
The spark came when her mother, Nelisunita, took her to a hockey tournament held during a village Kisan Mela. Watching girls weave through defenders with their sticks, Sunelita decided she wanted to play the game too.
Village coach Dominic Toppo spotted her potential and taught her the basics. Her first major setback came when she was rejected by the Panposh Hockey Hostel in Rourkela because of her short height.
It could have ended the dream. Instead, it hardened her resolve.
While studying in Class IX at St Mary’s Girls’ High School, Sundargarh, Sunelita was selected in 2018 for the Sports Authority of India training centre in the district. Coach PK Sarangi helped sharpen her skills before she moved to the Odisha Naval Tata Hockey High Performance Centre in Bhubaneswar.
Her performance at the 2022 National Games in Gujarat opened the door to the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. A year later, at just 16, she was called up for the senior national camp.
International recognition followed quickly. She was part of India’s Junior Asia Cup-winning side in Japan in 2023 and also featured in the Junior World Cup before breaking into the senior team in 2024.
Once a midfielder, Sunelita was gradually moved forward as coaches recognised her explosive pace, quick reactions and ability to exploit gaps.
Today, every sprint she makes on the World Cup turf carries a little piece of Kukuda with it.
For her father, the achievement is deeply personal. The daughter who once practised with a bamboo stick has given her family an identity far beyond their village.