Ready steady tokyo

FIH Hockey Pro League: A fortnight ago, when Sonika's mother boarded a flight from Delhi to arrive in Bengaluru to attend Sunehra Safar - a special send-off ceremony hosted by Hockey India little did the 26-year-old player know that she would receive her India jersey by her mother ahead of the all-important Hangzhou Asian Games, which is scheduled to be held from September 23 to October 8.

"It was truly a special moment, especially to receive the jersey in front of a big audience which included all my teammates. Those few minutes on the stage brought back all the memories of my struggle and facing challenges to get here and my mother has been equally part of this journey - always supporting me at every crucial juncture," stated an emotional Sonika.