The 18th edition of Asian Games is set to begin in Jakarta and Palembang on August 18, with 572 Indian sportspersons in contention for medals. After a successful Commonwealth Games, in which India finished third on the table with 66 medals – 26 gold, 20 silver and 20 bronze – the expectations from the Indian contingent are high.
Out of the 572 Indian sportspersons in Indonesia, 18 form the women’s hockey squad. Here are their profiles:
Savita
Date of Birth: July 11, 1990
Event at Asian Games: Women’s hockey
Past appearance (if any): 2014
Best performance so far: Gold at Asia Cup 2017
Brief description: One of the finest goalkeepers to have represented India in recent times, Savita made her debut for the national team at the age of 18 when she was selected for the Spar Cup Four Nations Tournament in Durban, South Africa. The 27-year-old hails from Haryana. Her maturity under the bar saw her catch the attention of the selectors and the goal-stopper has not looked back since then, featuring over 150 times for the national team. She played a key role in helping India win the bronze medal at the 8th edition of Women’s Asia Cup in 2013. She was also a part of the team that won the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy in 2016, and was part of the team’s first Olympics appearance in 36 years at Rio. Her performance at the FIH Women’s World League Round 2 saw her win the goalkeeper of the tournament award, while a crucial save from her in the penalty shootout in the final match of 9th Women’s Asia Cup saw India lift the trophy after 13 years.
Rajani Etimarpu
Date of Birth: June 9, 1990
Event at Asian Games: Women’s hockey
Past appearance (if any): NA
Best performance so far: Gold at Asia Cup 2017
Brief description: The 27-year-old from Andhra Pradesh made her debut for India in 2009 after she excelled at the Junior Women’s National Camp in Lucknow. The goalkeeper has been a constant in the core group, and took over as a regular member of the team after the retirement of Yogita Bali. Rajani was a part of the Indian team which participated at the 2016 Rio Olympics and has since represented the team at all major tournaments in recent years, including the FIH Women’s World League Round 2, FIH Women’s World League Semi-final and the 9th Women’s Asia Cup 2017, where the team won the Gold Medal in Japan.
Deep Ekka Grace
Date of Birth: June 3, 1994
Event at Asian Games: Women’s hockey
Past appearance (if any): 2014
Best performance so far: Bronze at 2014 Asian Games
Brief description: Deep Grace Ekka hails from Odisha and has become one of the best defenders to have emerged from the state. The 23-year-old was a part of the Junior team which won the bronze medal at the 2013 Women’s Junior Hockey World Cup in Germany. The defender was rewarded for her performance as she was then selected in the senior team which won the bronze medal in 8th Women’s Asia Cup in 2013. Ekka has since been a regular fixture in the side.
Sunita Lakra
Date of Birth: June 11, 1991
Event at Asian Games: Women’s hockey
Past appearance (if any): 2014
Best performance so far: Gold at Asia Cup 2017
Brief description: The 26-year-old defender hails from the state of Odisha and made her debut for the national team in 2009. During her nine years with the senior team, Sunita has emerged as one of the most important cogs in the Indian defence, guiding the team to victories in the Asian Champions Trophy in 2016 and the 9th Women’s Asia Cup 2017 in Japan. Lakra is considered as a leader within the team and was rewarded with the duties of being the vice captain in the absence of Savita, during the tour of South Korea where the team won 3-1 in a five-match series.
Deepika
Date of Birth: February 7, 1987
Event at Asian Games: Women’s hockey
Past appearance (if any): 2010, 2014
Best performance so far: Gold at Asia Cup 2017
Brief description: The 31-year-old forward from Yamunanagar, Haryana is a product of the Sports Hostel, Chandigarh and has been a rock at the center of defence for the team for over a decade and is a two-time World Cupper, making appearances at the 2006 and 2010 editions. The defender has taken part in important tournaments for the country and was recognised for her contribution to the team when she was awarded with the Dhruv Batra Player of the Year award in 2016. The defender was also nominated for the Arjuna Award in 2017, and was a part of the 9th Women’s Asia Cup 2017 Gold Medal winning team in Japan.
Gurjit Kaur
Date of Birth: October 25, 1995
Event at Asian Games: Women’s hockey
Past performance (if any): NA
Best performance so far: Gold at Asia Cup 2017
Brief description: Gurjit Kaur is one of the most crucial cogs of this team being a drag-flick expert, and she has been consistently performing well at the highest level. Her goals have contributed to big victories for the team in recent years. She hails from Punjab and played an important role in India’s victory at the 9th Women’s Asia Cup in Japan where she scored a total of eight goals, finishing as the tournament’s third-highest goal-scorer.
Reena Khokhar
Date of Birth: April 10, 1993
Event at Asian Games: Hockey
Past appearance (if any): NA
Best performance so far: NA
Brief description: As a young child growing up in Chandigarh, her primary focus was to do well academically in school. She was not too much into sports as a kid. Then, urged by her friends, she took part in her school hockey trials and got into the team. Slowly, her interest in the sport began to grow. Her father, who works in the Border Security Force, encouraged her two siblings and her to take up the game. Her international debut as a senior came about when she was selected for the New Zealand tour in May of last year.
Namita Toppo
Date of Birth: June 4, 1995
Event at Asian Games: Women’s hockey
Past appearance (if any): 2014
Best performance so far: Gold at Asia Cup 2017
Brief description: The 23-year-old from Odisha is one of the five players which make up the midfield of the current Indian team. She was also a member of the squad that won the Bronze medal at the Women’s Junior World Cup in Germany in 2013 and was then drafted into the senior team. Toppo has also represented India at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014, in the 2018 edition in Gold Coast, Incheon Asian Games in 2014, and the 9th Women’s Asia Cup in 2017.
Lilima Minz
Date of Birth: April 10, 1994
Event at Asian Games: Women’s hockey
Past appearance (if any): 2014
Best performance so far: Gold at Asia Cup 2017
Brief description: Hailing from Odisha, Lilima started playing hockey with Railways and is closing on to 100 caps for India. She was part of the Indian junior team that won the bronze medal at the 2013 Junior World Cup at Monchengladbach, Germany. Since her debut in 2015, she has been an integral part of the team representing India at top tournaments like 2016 Rio Olympics, Hockey World League Semi Finals, Asia Cup among others.
Monika
Date of Birth: November 5, 1993
Event at Asian Games: Women’s hockey
Past appearance (if any): 2014
Best performance so far: Gold at Asia Cup 2017
Brief description: The 24-year-old midfielder hails from Haryana and has transformed into the backbone of the team through her inspiring performances at the 9th Women’s Asia Cup 2017 (where she scored a goal in the final match against China) and FIH Women’s Hockey World League Round 2 held in Canada in 2017. The creative midfielder plays an important job of linking the play from defence to attack, and has featured over 100 times for the national team. She has previously represented India at the 2014 Asian Games, and the 2016 Asian Champions Trophy.
Udita
Date of Birth: January 14, 1998
Event at Asian Games: Women’s hockey
Past appearance (if any): NA
Best performance so far: Bronze at the Women’s U-18 Hockey Asia Cup
Brief description: Udita’s entry into the game was by happenchance. She used to play handball at school and loved it too. When her coach didn’t turn up for three days, she wanted to give hockey a try. Turned out that she was cut for the sport. Now, the 20-year-old from Haryana is fast-becoming one of the important members of the team. In 2016, she led the U-18 national side to a bronze medal at the Women’s U-18 Hockey Asia Cup. With more games under her belt, this youngster from Haryana promises to get better and better. Quite deservedly, she earned her place in the Indian squad for the Asian Champions Trophy after having made her debut in the Four-Nation tournament in Europe.
Nikki Pradhan
Date of Birth: December 8, 1993
Event at Asian Games: Women’s hockey
Past appearance (if any): NA
Best performance so far: Gold at Asia Cup 2017
Brief description: The Jharkhand-born player made her international debut during the 2016 South Africa Tour. Since then Nikki has represented the women’s team at every important tournament including the Rio Olympics in 2016 (where she became the first one from her state to participate in the Olympics), Hockey World league Semi Finals, Asia Cup in 2017. She last donned the Indian colours during the Korean Tour in March 2018.
Neha Goyal
Date of Birth: November 15, 1996
Event at Asian Games: Women’s hockey
Past appearance (if any): NA
Best performance so far: Gold at Asia Cup 2017
Brief description: Neha first represented India at the age of 14 when she was picked for the Junior Asia Cup in 2011. In the same year, at the U-21 four-nation Lal Bahadur Shastri women’s hockey tournament, she was declared player of the tournament. She made her senior debut in 2014 and played her first match at FIH Champions Challenge in Glasgow. In the 2017 Asia Cup, Neha also scored her first goal against China in a group stage match.
Rani Rampal
Date of Birth: December 4, 1994
Event at Asian Games: Women’s hockey
Past appearance (if any): 2010, 2014
Best performance so far: Gold at Asia Cup 2017
Brief description: At 15, Rani became the youngest player to represent the national team when she made her debut at the Champions Challenge Tournament held in 2009. She hails from the state of Haryana and is the only Indian to be nominated for the FIH Women’s Young Player of the Year Award, while she was also given the “Best Young Player of the Tournament” award at the 2010 Women’s Hockey World Cup in Argentina. It was under her captaincy that India created history as they won the Women’s Asia Cup in 2017 after 13 years. Rani believes that Asia Cup was just a stepping stone for bigger things to come. An inspirational leader, Rani has set her team’s aim to bring more glory as India prepares to take part at the Asian Games, trying to enter the Olympics for the second straight time.
Vandana Katariya
Date of Birth: April 15, 1992
Event at Asian Games: Women’s hockey
Past appearance (if any): 2014
Best performance so far: Gold at Asia Cup 2017
Brief description: Hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Vandana is part of the attacking line in the Indian team. The 26-year old started off her career playing for the Railways. The team’s top scorer in the Junior Women’s World Cup in Monchengladbach, Germany 2013, she played an instrumental role in helping India bag a coveted bronze medal. Since then she has been an integral player for the team participating in all major tournaments including 2016 Rio Olympics, 2016 Asian Champions Trophy, 2017 Hockey World League Semi Finals as well as the 2017 Asia Cup.
Lalremsiami
Date of Birth: March 30, 2000
Event at Asian Games: Women’s hockey
Past appearance (if any): NA
Best performance so far: NA
Brief description: One of the youngest players in the team, Lalremsiami was born and brought up in Kolasib in Mizoram. A graduate from Mizoram’s elite Thenzawl Women’s Hockey Training Centre, she played a vital role in India’s success at last year’s Asia Cup scoring against Japan and Singapore. Before making it to the senior level, Lalremsiami shined at the 4th U18 Asia Cup scoring three goals in the tournament. During the recent tour to Korea, her solitary goal in the opening match against Korea gave India a win.
Navneet Kaur
Date of Birth: January 26, 1996
Event at Asian Games: Women’s hockey
Past appearance (if any): NA
Best performance so far: Gold at Asia Cup 2017
Brief description: Navneet Kaur has been one of the most consistent forwards in the Indian team. Hailing from Haryana, she was one of the most impactful players for the team that won the Asia Cup in November scoring four goals. She was also a part of the bronze medal winning team at Junior Women’s Hockey World Cup in Germany in 2013 alongside current captain Rani.
Navjot Kaur
Date of Birth: March 7, 1995
Event at Asian Games: Women’s hockey
Past appearance (if any): 2014
Best performance so far: Bronze medal at 2014 Asian Games
Brief description: The Kurukshetra-born forward made her international debut in 2012 in a series against New Zealand in Napier at the back of some impressive work at the Junior Asia Cup and International U-21 tournament in the Netherlands where India had finished third. She was part of the team that excelled at the Hockey World League Semi-Finals 2015 taking India to the doorsteps of the Olympics. She also featured in the 17th Asian Games, 2016 Rio Olympics, 4th Women’s Asian Champions Trophy and was also part of India’s successful campaign at the Women’s Hockey World League Round 2 in Canada.
Rani Rampal is supported by Edelweiss.