Sunil PB (centre) scored his first international goal against New Zealand during India's silver medal-winning campaign at the Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia recently.
Credit: HI Media
Bengaluru: When Sunil PB forayed into hockey as a 10-year-old, he wasn’t even aware of the existence of such a team sport. He hadn’t heard of the game, he hadn’t seen it being played anywhere and not in his wildest dream did the little boy from Anavatti village in Sorab taluk of Shivamogga district imagine that one day hockey would define his life.
More than 11 years later, the second son of daily wage agricultural labourers is shaping out to be one of the most promising young talents in the country. With his steady rise in the junior ranks over the last 12 months, Sunil is another of many Indian athletes who have risen above the hardships of poverty.
“Yeah, who would have thought! I didn’t even know what hockey was once upon a time,” the now 21-year-old tells DH.
“One day, when I was in my fourth grade (at the government school in Tallur village) Sundaresh sir conducted trials to pick students for the DYES Sports hostel in Shivamogga. He made us run two rounds of the school ground, some jumps and checked our weight and height. A few days later I got to know I was selected but I didn’t even know for which sport,” recalls Sunil.
After some convincing from principal Nagaveni to his apprehensive parents, Sunil set foot in a big town for the first time.
It was at the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES) in Shivamogga that the fifth-grader was introduced to hockey under the tutelage of coach Sundaresh before moving to Madikeri sports hostel after 10th grade and later to Sports Authority of India (SAI) sports training center in Shantinagar here.
“I hadn’t played Sub-junior or age group hockey. It was only after coming to Bengaluru in 2022 that I played for the Junior state team. People told me it will be hard and nobody will support me, but I have been lucky,” says the defender who captained the state boys’ team that finished fourth in the Junior Nationals in Jalandhar last year.
That performance catapulted Sunil into the senior Karnataka squad for the National Games early this year, when the team, captained by former international forward and Olympian SV Sunil, won gold which made way for the Shivamogga lad to be selected for the junior national camp.
“One thing led to the other. The first time I entered the SAI South Centre (in Kengeri here) for the national camp, I was more worried about not knowing Hindi than hockey. Aadre bereavaru mathnadod keli keli, swalpa Hindi kalthe (slowly I paid attention to others speaking and learnt a little bit).”
His dream of playing in the Indian jersey was realised when he made his debut at the 4-nation tournament in Berlin in June before becoming an integral part of the silver medal-winning Indian side at the recently concluded Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia. In between, Sunil was also picked by the Vedanta Kalinga Lancers for Rs 2 lakh for the upcoming Hockey India League.
“I’m looking forward to what’s next. Especially HIL, where there will be so many big players from around the world. More than everything, my parents and elder brother who live a simple life taking care of the half acre land we own are happy that hockey has made me who I’m today,” says the final year BA student at Surana College, Bengaluru.
With the added responsibility of carrying forward Karnataka’s hockey legacy, the followers of the sport here are keeping a close watch of Sunil’s growth.
First up, hopefully, is to see their talent wield his stick at the Junior Men’s World Cup beginning in November in Chennai.