Hailing from Odisha, Sweety Kujur headlines Odisha’s surge in India's U18 women's hockey squad

As the Indian women’s U18 team prepares to face Australia in a four-match series later this week, one player who is eager to make her mark is skipper Sweety Kujur.Hailing from Kesramal in the Rajgangpur block of Sundargarh district in Odisha, the youngster played football in her childhood before taking up hockey after watching her elder sister Khushboo play the sport.

Part of Odisha’s age-group teams since 2024, she also played a vital role this year as the state finished third in the sub-junior hockey nationals in Ranchi.

Her focus now is to make the most of this opportunity and prepare as best as possible for the U18 Asia Cup to be held in Japan later this month.“We have trained with the senior girls as well, so playing against a strong team like Australia will give us valuable experience,” said Kujur, who trained at the Panposh Sports Hostel in Rourkela after starting out at grassroots centres near her village.However, all this might not have been possible without the support of her mother Leoni Kujur, a homemaker, who wanted both her daughters to excel in sports. Guiding her now is former India captain Rani Rampal, under whom she has found fresh inspiration.“It has been a great experience. We are learning many new things, and she is teaching us well. We are all trying to improve and achieve something,” she said, before adding, “If we don’t understand something, she demonstrates it herself, which really helps.”

Not only her on-field performance, but Kujur has also been working on her leadership skills and is aware of her responsibilities.“You must look after the team, keep everyone together and lead from the front. During matches, if the team is under pressure, you have to support and motivate them,” said Kujur, who is also a big fan of Indian men’s team player Shilanand Lakra.Besides Kujur, there are four other players from Odisha in the squad, including Princess Priya Ekka, who is just 12 years old.

“She played her first national sub-junior meet this year, scored four goals in five matches and was selected for the U18 camp,” said Florencia Ekka, a coach at the Sundargarh hostel.The coach also highlighted other promising players from the region, like striker Priyanka Minz, who comes from a hockey family, and defenders Rubina Baxla and Kiran Ekka.She believes the matches against Australia will help the juniors move in the right direction from a very young age.

“This is a very positive step. Playing against top teams at this stage will help them learn and grow. They also look up to Rani Rampal as an idol, and training under her is a big opportunity for them,” said the coach, who has been coaching since 2012.While it’s unlikely that all of them will go on to play for the senior team, the presence of five players from one state, along with Sunelita Toppo and goalkeeper Madhuri Kindo in the senior Indian setup, underlines how Odisha is steadily reaping the rewards of sustained investment in hockey at all levels.