Former Indian women’s hockey team captain Rani Rampal announced her retirement on Thursday, bringing to a close a 16-year career. Snnouncing her retirement, she said, “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 focus was always to do something, represent the country.”
The 29-year-old will retire as one of India’s most accomplished hockey players, having led the women’s team to its best-ever Olympic performance – finishing fourth at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
She rose from humble beginnings in a small town in Haryana, where her father worked as a cart-puller, to become an inspirational figure in Indian sports.
A clinical forward, Rani made her international debut in 2008 at just 14 years old during the Olympic qualifiers that year. Over her career, she scored 205 goals in 254 appearances for India. In 2020, she received the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award and was also honored with the Padma Shri, the nation’s fourth highest civilian award, in the same year. Recently, she was appointed as the national coach for sub-junior women players.
(With PTI inputs)