When India’s junior men’s hockey team returned home with a bronze medal from the FIH Men’s Junior Hockey World Cup earlier this year, several young names caught the attention of followers of the sport. Among them was Sunil PB, a composed and hardworking defender whose performances stood out not just for their technical assurance, but for the maturity he showed on the international stage.
Now, as the Hero Men’s Hockey India League (HIL) prepares for its return on January 3, Sunil finds himself at a pivotal moment ready to take the next step in a journey that has already travelled far from his modest beginnings.
Hailing from Anavatti village in Sorab Taluk of Karnataka’s Shivamogga district, Sunil represents a new chapter in the state’s storied hockey tradition. Karnataka has long been a fertile ground for Indian hockey, producing stalwarts such as MP Ganesh, MM Somaya, AB Subbiah, Ashish Ballal and Arjun Halappa. In more recent times, the likes of Raghunath VR, SK Uthappa, Nikkin Thimmaiah and SV Sunil have carried that legacy forward, with four of them featuring in India’s campaign at the Rio 2016 Olympics. Yet, over the last few years, Karnataka’s presence in the senior national setup has waned, making Sunil’s emergence particularly significant.
While players such as Mohd. Raheel, Abharan Sudev and HS Mohit have hovered around the fringes of the senior core group, Sunil’s Junior World Cup heroics have rekindled hope that Karnataka can once again become a consistent supplier of top-level talent. His calm defending, positional awareness and willingness to put his body on the line marked him out as a player ready for bigger challenges.
Sunil’s hockey journey began far away from packed stadiums and television cameras. The son of daily-wage agricultural labourers, he was introduced to the sport at the DYES Sports Hostel in his district when he was just 10 years old. At the time, hockey was little more than a pastime, a structured activity that gave shape to his days. Today, it has become a vehicle of aspiration not just for Sunil, but for his entire family.
Drafted by Vedanta Kalinga Lancers for ₹2 lakh at the HIL auction, Sunil is acutely aware of what the league represents. “The Junior World Cup was a dream come true moment,” he admits. “But now that is in the past. I am focused on performing for the Kalinga Lancers. The team has a good mix of players, and for me, this season is about learning as much as possible and delivering when I get my chances.”
The Hockey India League has always been a platform where young Indian players can measure themselves against the world’s best, and Sunil’s excitement is palpable when he speaks about sharing the dressing room with Olympic gold medallists Arthur Van Doren and Alexander Hendrickx. For a defender, there are few better role models in modern hockey.
“As a defender, there’s nothing more fruitful than learning from the biggest names in world hockey,” Sunil says. “Arthur and Alex are incredible whether it’s their game knowledge, decision-making under pressure, or tactical awareness, especially during penalty corner defence. Watching them closely every day is a massive opportunity.”
But the learning, he insists, goes beyond what happens on the pitch. “I want to observe how they prepare for matches, how they conduct themselves off the field, how they recover and unwind. This is the closest we can get to international stars, and there’s no better environment than the HIL for that kind of exposure.”
Sunil’s growing awareness of Karnataka’s hockey heritage has added a deeper sense of responsibility to his ambitions. “When I first started playing, I knew nothing about the state’s contribution to Indian hockey,” he reflects. “It was only after coming into the national setup that I understood the legacy and what it means. Now, that responsibility inspires me. I want to achieve what our former greats from Karnataka have achieved.”
Beyond legacy and learning, Sunil’s motivation is grounded in something far more personal. Hockey, for him, is a pathway to financial stability. His family owns just half an acre of land, and livelihoods in the village are uncertain. “Life is not easy,” he says honestly. “But I believe that if I do well in hockey, it will improve my family’s condition. With the support of Hockey India’s cash awards and what players can earn through the Hockey India League, I am confident things will change.”
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Vedanta Kalinga Lancers will begin their HIL campaign against Ranchi Royals on January 4 at 7:30 pm, and Sunil’s performances over the coming weeks will be closely watched by selectors and fans alike. For a young defender standing at the crossroads of promise and opportunity, the league offers more than just match time—it offers belief.
As Karnataka looks for its next standard-bearer in Indian hockey, PB Sunil’s journey from Anavatti village to the HIL spotlight is a reminder of why the sport still matters. Not just for medals and memories, but for the quiet revolutions it sparks in lives far from the limelight.
