THE Indian former women’s hockey team captain Rani Rampal announced her retirement last Thursday (24), ending a glittering 16-year career during which she became an inspiration for beating abject poverty and conservative views in a small town in the northern state of Haryana, where her father worked as a cart-puller.
The 29-year-old has signed off as one of the country’s most decorated hockey players after leading the women’s team to its best-ever finish at the Olympics – a fourth place at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
“It’s been an outstanding journey. I never thought I will play for so long for India. I have seen a lot of poverty from childhood but [my] focus was always to do something, represent the country,” she said.
A clinical forward who made her international debut in 2008 as a 14-year-old in the Olympic qualifiers that year, Rampal scored 205 goals in her 254 outings for India.
She was honoured with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2020 as well as the Padma Shri, the country’s fourth highest civilian award, in the same year.
Rampal was recently roped in as the national coach for sub-junior women players.
She has also joined Soorma Hockey Club, representing Haryana and Punjab in the revamped Hockey India League (HIL), as the mentor of its women’s team.
The player from Shahabad rose from abject poverty to make the national team.
Her father Ram Pal, who has been her guiding force, earned `80 (73p) a day and could not afford to buy her a hockey stick.
She was rejected by a district level coach for being malnourished as a child but continued to practice with a broken hockey stick that she found in a field.
Despite many obstacles, including initial opposition from her conservative family, Rampal made the local team as a six-yearold before becoming the youngest hockey player to represent India at the age of 14.
“It was a tough to take this decision, especially when you have played 15-16 years for the country. But after much thought I felt it was the right time,” said the forward, who has also faced challenging fitness issues in the last couple of years.
“Already, I have started my new innings as a mentor for the Delhi team in the women’s HIL. It was tough but finally I thought that it’s time. I have no regrets in my life. But I still feel proud I got the honour to represent the country for so many years.”
Rampal said she was happy with the way her career progressed.
Under her captaincy, the Indian women’s team qualified for the quarter-finals of the 2018 World Cup in London and also won silver at the 2018 Asian Games.
In addition, she led the team to victory in the 2019 FIH Series Finals and was a key contributor in the Indian team’s back-toback appearances in the Olympic Games.
“I had a wonderful career. There were plenty of high moments as well as lows. But Rani as a seven-year-old had never thought playing for the country for so many years, the journey would be so glorious,” she said.
“Seriously I never thought I will play 254 games for the country and score 200 goals. All these moments will remain with me. There was struggle too because my childhood was not that good but the passion never died. The country always came first for me.”
Rampal thanked her family, especially her father, for supporting her after she stood her ground to pursue hockey as a career.
“There are plenty of people who supported me in my career. The family comes first. My family has seen a lot of poverty, had to struggle a lot,” she said.
“My father was poor but his thinking was very rich. He gave me the opportunity to play and make my name.
“My coach Baldev (Singh) sir has a big role to play in my life. I got a very good teacher. I am lucky to have a coach like Baldev sir. He guided and taught me life lessons also besides hockey.”
Rampal admitted her only unfulfilled dream was an Olympics podium finish for India’s women.
“There are plenty of changes happening in women’s hockey. We never thought there will be a league for women’s hockey. Girls will good exposure and financial help as well,” she said.
“What I want is to see the Indian women’s hockey team on the Olympic podium. I tried a lot but came very close to it. I will very happy the day the Indian women’s team finishes on the Olympics podium, and we have that capability.”
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