Toppo is a product of the Sports Hostel, Panposh, Rourkela. She first represented her state team in 2007 and her performances in domestic competitions saw her getting selected for U-18 Girls Asia Cup in Bangkok, Thailand in 2011 where India won a bronze medal. She was first selected to represent the senior national team in 2012 in the FIH Champions Challenge I in Dublin.
Hockey India named a 23-member strong Indian squad for a 25-day European tour, starting later this month, where Spaniard Jose Brasa will make his debut as national team coach. Drag-flicker Sandeep Singh has been retained captain of the side for the tour, on which India will play a series of 12 Test matches against England, Belgium, Spain and Holland.
India's other gold medals came in 1966 and 1998, both times in Bangkok.
Simranjeet Singh and Rajni Etimarpu will lead the men's and women's sides respectively as Hockey India on Sunday named the Indian teams for the upcoming FIH Hockey5s World Cup to be held in Muscat, Oman.
The Indian women's hockey team stunned reigning Olympic champions Netherlands in the shootout after the two sides were locked 2-2 in regulation time.
Dishing out a superlative display, Dabang Mumbai swamped Uttar Pradesh Wizards 6-3 in their concluding round-robin game of the Hockey India League to keep their hopes of entering the semi-finals alive.
Sachin Tendulkar marvelled at India's rise in newer disciplines, while Abhinav Bindra paid tribute to all those who "silently carry the athletes forward" as the two icons offered their views on India's sporting growth on National Sports Day.
Hockey India reasoned that there is only a 32-day window available between the Birmingham Games (July 28-August 8) and the Hangzhou Asian Games (September 10-25) and it can't risk sending its players to the UK which has been one of the worst affected countries by the coronavirus pandemic.
A structured defence and clinical attack saw India beat hosts New Zealand 3-1 in the final round-robin match of the double-leg Four-Nation Invitational Hockey Tournament, at Blake Park in Tauranga, New Zealand, on Saturday.
At a felicitation function, in Bhubaneswar, to honour the men's and women's Olympics hockey teams, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, an ardent supporter of the game in the country, announced that the state will continue to sponsor the national hockey teams for another 10 years.
India defeated China 4-1 in their last pool match to mantain a clean slate going into the quarterfinals of the junior men's Asia Cup hockey tournament, in Kuantan, on Tuesday.
'We have just scratched the surface because cricket has been around for the longest time.'
The Indian hockey team that won a second successive Olympic bronze for the country here on Thursday featured 11 players, who will come back as two-time medallists from the quadrennial showpiece.
Both, the men's and women's hockey teams commence their campaign on July 24 against New Zealand and The Netherlands, respectively.
Over 25 years, societies evolve and tastes change. Cinema absorbs and reflects this transformation. Picking only 25 films from the first quarter of the century is tough.
Former captain Zafar Iqbal believes it won't be easy for India to reclaim the hockey World Cup title after a hiatus of 47 years as the hosts are placed in a tough pool alongside Spain, England and Wales.
Defending champions India continued their unbeaten run as they beat South Korea 5-3 in the Pool A match to storm into the semi-finals of the men's hockey competition at the 18th Asian Games.
They got as many as nine penalty corners in the first two quarters but converted just one.
Sreejesh set to become India junior coach
Shilanand finally made his way back into the national team and on Thursday, not only provided a superb assist but also scored a goal with a lovely deflection in India's 4-1 win over Malaysia in the Super 4 stage of the Asia Cup.
Veteran goalkeeper P R Sreejesh's heroics went in vain as India squandered a goal lead and went down 1-2 to Australia in the third men's hockey Test in Perth on Wednesday.
It was a mere formality for the general assembly of 74 members to put a seal of approval on India's bid after Ahmedabad was recommended as the proposed host of the centenary edition by the Commonwealth Sport's Executive Board last month. India last hosted the CWG in 2010 in Delhi.
Italy are gearing up for their Twenty20 World Cup debut, hoping a strong showing next month will help the sport break into popular culture in a soccer-obsessed nation that does not have a natural cricket pitch.
Varun Kumar converted a penalty corner in the 24th minute to hand India the lead before Simranjeet Singh (55th) scored a diving field goal from skipper Manpreet Singh's brilliant pass to secure full three points for the five-time champions.
India's hopes of a podium finish were dashed as they squandered lead on two occasions and went down 2-3 to Ireland in the Sultan Azlan Shah hockey tournament in Ipoh, Malaysia, on Friday.
India have come into the tournament without the injured duo of veteran goalkeeper Savita Punia and ace drag-flicker Deepika.
Germany capitalised on their two penalty corners, securing a convincing victory.
The inaugural WHIL, scheduled from January 12 to 26 in Ranchi, will feature four teams: Delhi SG Pipers, Odisha Warriors, Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers, and Soorma Hockey Club.
The gold medal-winning Indian men's hockey team will receive a cash reward of Rs 2.5 lakh each from Hockey India for their stupendous show at the Asian Games.
The Indian men's hockey wound up its league stage engagements at the Olympics with a 4-2 victory over Japan and consolidated second place in Group A, behind Australia, on Friday.
India's women's hockey team put up a spirited display against Great Britain but it wasn't enough to prevent them from going down 3-4 in the Olympics bronze medal play-off, at the Oi Hockey Stadium in Tokyo, on Friday.
Harmanpreet Singh will lead a 24-member Indian squad in the Europe leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League starting on May 22.
India posted a 6-0 win over Bangladesh for their fourth straight victory in the Asia Cup hockey tournament.
Jaypee Punjab Warriors stopped Dabang Mumbai's resurgent run by inflicting a 5-1 defeat on the home team and climbed up to the top of the table in the Hockey India League on Friday.
Harmanpreet scores twice as India thrash Belgium 5-1 in Pro League hockey match
Olympic bronze medallist India eked out a hardfought 3-2 win over South Africa to advance to the men's hockey final of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham on Saturday.
PR Sreejesh says his dual role as India hockey captain and goalkeeper is to allow his team mates the freedom to express themselves in Rio but knows he must keep them focused on the medal hunt in the "magic world" of the Olympics. The 30-year-old was second choice at London 2012 behind then captain Bharat Chetri but has since established himself as the clear number one. He was named captain for the recent Champions Trophy in London where India rested some seniors, including regular captain Sardar Singh, ahead of the Rio Games.
Returning to the Olympics after a hiatus of 36 years, Indian women's hockey team showed tremendous fighting spirit and came from two goals down to eke out a 2-2 draw against higher-ranked Japan in their opening Pool B match at the Rio Games in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday. The Indians, ranked 13th in the world, were trailing by two goals at half time after World No. 10 Japan scored through Emi Nishikori (15th minute) and Mie Nakashima (28th). But the Indians made a valiant fightback as Rani Rampal (31st) and Lilima Minz (40th) scored a goal each in the third and fourth quarters to secure points for their side.
Taking a cue from the BCCI, Hockey India is set to organise a grand felicitation function for its yesteryear stars who will be paid a one-time benefit from the HI coffers for their contribution to the game.
India stunned reigning Olympic silver medallist China 3-0 to qualify for the semifinals of the women's Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament in Bihar on Saturday.
