Rani Rampal, the former captain of the Indian women’s hockey team, announced her retirement on Thursday, after a dazzling 16-year career in which she became a symbol of overcoming extreme poverty and conventional beliefs in a small Haryana hamlet where her father was a cart puller.
After leading the women’s team to its highest-ever Olympic finish of fourth place at the Tokyo Games in 2021, the 29-year-old will retire as one of India’s most decorated hockey players.
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“The adventure has been amazing. I never imagined playing for India for so long. Since I was a young child, I have witnessed a lot of poverty, but my main goal has always been to take action and represent the nation,” she told reporters here.
Along with receiving the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian honor in the nation, she was also honored with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2020. She was just hired as the national coach of women’s sub-junior teams.
In addition, Rani has joined the Soorma Hockey Club as the coach of its women’s squad, representing Punjab and Haryana in the redesigned Hockey India League.
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The athlete from Shahabad, which is regarded as the birthplace of Indian hockey, overcame extreme hardship to earn a spot on the national squad.
Ram Pal, her father and her inspiration, made only Rs 80 a day and was unable to even purchase a hockey stick for her.
A district-level coach rejected her because she was undernourished as a youngster, but she persisted in practicing with a broken hockey stick she found in a field.
Despite numerous challenges, such as early resistance from her traditional family, Rani joined the local team at the age of six and, at the age of 14, became the youngest hockey player to represent India.
