Sk uthappa

Junior Hockey World Cup: From a state that boasts of rich legacy in hockey, with stalwarts like MP Ganesh, MM Somaya, AB Subbiah, Ashish Ballal, Arjun Halappa, and more recently Raghunath VR, SK Uthappa, Nikkin Thimmaiah and SV Sunil - all four featured in the Indian team for Rio Olympics in 2016, a new and promising entrant in the mix PB Sunil, is vying to be the torchbearer for Karnataka in hockey.

While his state compatriots Mohd. Raheel, Abharan Sudev and HS Mohit have been in and out of contention in the men's senior core group and for the national squad, Sunil's recent heroics in the FIH Men's Junior Hockey World Cup, where the team won a bronze medal, instills hope for reviving the state's contribution to India in the sport.

From a small hamlet called Anavatti village in Sorab Taluk, Shivamogga district, Sunil forayed into the sport through the DYES Sports hostel in his district as a 10-year-old. His parents, daily wage labourers in agriculture. Sunil's rise in hockey has come as a ray of hope for his family.