India, March 1 -- "Sports run in my family," says 21-year-old Jyoti Singh, the daughter of an international long-distance runner, as she charts her own path in Indian hockey with quiet clarity and ambition.

Born in Jhansi, Jyoti captained India at the women's Junior World Cup and also made her senior debut last year, featuring in four matches of the Pro League, including a remarkable win against World No. 1, the Netherlands.

"My father was an international athlete, so I'd go to the ground with him to do some running, and also play some badminton," she stated in a release. "However, it was my cousin sister who inspired me to play hockey. She was part of the senior academy. Whenever she would come home for summer vacations, I would spend ...