Deep Grace EKKA

Deep Grace Ekka hails from Odisha and has amassed over 200 caps for India. The 28-year-old has built her career on some remarkable feats right from her junior India days.

She was a part of the junior team which won the bronze medal at the 2013 Women's Junior Hockey World Cup in Germany. A good show in the junior ranks saw her earn a place in the senior team which won the bronze medal at the Women's Asia Cup in 2013.

Ekka was part of the Indian team that took part in Rio Olympic Games -- their first appearance in the Summer Games since 1980. She was an integral part of the team that won gold at the 2016 Asian Champions Trophy and gold in the Asia Cup in 2017. She was also a part of the side that won the silver medal at the Women's Asian Champions Trophy 2018.

The Indian women's hockey team defender was also part of India's historic silver medal feat at the 2018 Asian Games Jakarta-Palembang. Ekka was the backbone of the defence at the Tokyo Olympics 2020, where India attained their best-ever fourth-place finish. She led India as the vice-captain to a third-place finish at the Women's Asia Cup 2022 and was also the vice-captain of the Indian women's hockey team that finished in third position in FIH Women’s Hockey Pro League 2021-22.