RISING STAR

Hailing from a family of wrestlers, hockey player Deepika took the path less travelled—and is finally enjoying her moment in the sun

- Suhani Singh

In the sporting world, we know that Haryanvi girls can land a mean punch (Saweety Boora), can outmanoeuvre on the mat (Sakshi Malik) and shoot their way to Olympic glory (Manu Bhaker). But score from a penalty corner in hockey? That's Deepika, the 21-year-old rising star of women's hockey. The drag flicker is on cloud nine, having won Hockey India's Asunta Lakra award for upcoming player of the year 2024 (Women Under-21) after being the top goal-scorer and best player at two 2024 tournaments: Bihar Women's Asian Champions Trophy and Women's Junior Asia Cup held in Oman. Belonging to a family of wrestlers, Deepika started off by following her older brother to the mat at Sports Authority of India's facility in H