15-06-2025
Unflappables sunil puts Shivamogga on hockey map
SHIVAMOGGA : Shivamogga is renowned for its lush greenery, waterfalls, rich cultural heritage and, yes, Ninasam, the drama school. Now, the twenty-year-old wiry, swarthy and uncompromising defender Sunil PB is set to put Shivamogga on the international hockey map when he dons the India jersey in the four-nation junior tournament to be held in Berlin next month.
Dribbling past poverty and hard luck, Sunil, the younger of the two sons of daily-wage labourers in Talluru in Sorab taluk, has come a long way.
'My father, Palakshappa, is aged and not going for work these days. Mother, Rathnamma, and elder brother, Sandeep, work either as daily agriculture labourers or as masons. No one in our village thought I would play for India one day,' said a beaming Sunil when TNIE reached out to him.
Sunil's life-changing moment came nearly eleven years ago when talent-spotter Sundaresh set his eyes on the bright schoolboy. He was on a scouting trip to Sunil's School. After putting Sunil through some routine tests, Sundaresh was impressed by the youngster's gritty attitude.
Sunil recalls the turning point. He told TNIE: 'After taking some tests, Sundaresh sir asked me 'Are you interested in playing hockey? I said yes.'
Sunil joined Shivamogga Sports Hostel in 2015-16 and enrolled at Sarvodaya School in Class 6. Later he moved on to DVS High School. After completing Class 10, he moved to Coorg to join the hockey hostel and enrolled for PUC.
The next year Sunil dribbled his way into Sports Authority of India hostel in Bengaluru. He later joined Surana College for his Bachelor of Arts programme.
During the first year in 2022, Sunil got selected to Karnataka junior team and he continued to play for the state in 2023. In 2024, he led the Karnataka team to a creditable fourth place finish in the Junior National Championship held in Jalandhar. Now, Berlin awaits the man from Shivamogga. An elated Sunil told TNIE: 'It is a great moment in my life as I am all set to represent my country at an international tournament. Coming from a backward village, I never dreamt of becoming a hockey player.
