Sunelita Toppo is on the move, and four Germans are running to stop her. A pass is played in her direction from the right flank and even before it reaches her, the puny attacker is surrounded by the quartet in pink, each one at least a head taller than her.
On the run, Sunelita opens up her body to receive the ball. In a single motion, she cuts left to eliminate one opponent, then shuffles to the right and changes direction to wrong-foot two more. It opens up enough space to thread a forward pass. Just like that, another raid on Germany’s defence was launched.
For those fleeting few seconds, it was easy to forget that Sunelita was all of 17. By the time she’ll legally be an adult, Sunelita could well be a ‘veteran’ on the hockey field. Within a year of her debut at the age of 16, she has made more than two dozen international appearances.
