Indian women's hockey player Rani Rampal has achieved success by defeating poverty and social stigma with the power of her passion and self-confidence. Rani Rampal, a resident of Shahabad Markanda, located in the Kurukshetra district of Haryana, started playing hockey at the age of 6. Today she is the captain of the Indian women's hockey team.
Rani Rampal's journey was not easy at all:
Rani comes from a very simple family. She is the youngest among the sisters and brothers. She has 2 elder brothers. Her father used to run a tonga and sell bricks but it was very little for the family of 5 people. Due to the raw house, water used to drip inside the house during rains.
When she was 6 years old, she used to watch boys playing hockey in the playground while coming from school. She was very impressed with this game and one day came home and expressed her desire to play hockey to her father Rampal. Her family did not approve of her wish because rani was a girl. It was 'big' and 'strange' to talk about playing hockey as a girl. Her parents lived their life according to the ways of the village and were not much educated. They felt that there is no future for girls in the sports world. The family members refused at first, but the Rani was determined, she was adamant.
Her relatives started taunting her father, 'What will she do by playing hockey? Just wearing a short skirt, she will run in the field and spoil the respect of the house.
When Rani went to take admission to Shahabad Hockey Academy, at first she was not allowed admission, but when coach Sardar Baldev Singh saw her while playing, she became happy and gave her admission. Rani was determined to play hockey, but her father could not bear the expenses for it – like taking training in the institute, buying a hockey kit, buying shoes, etc. Also, her parents were afraid of society.
In this difficult time, she was supported by her coach, Sardar Baldev Singh. Sardar Baldev Singh is honored with the Guru Dronacharya Award. Rani started her training at Shahabad Hockey Academy under his supervision.
From giving hockey kits to buying shoes the coach, Sardar Baldev Singh; Helped her in every way.
After scoring a very difficult goal in a match, her coach gave her a 10 rupee note and wrote on it, 'You are the future of the country.' She wanted to save that note, but at that time her financial condition was like this, and he had to spend that note. While she was taking training in Chandigarh, her coach Sardar Baldev Singh made arrangements for her to stay at his own house. Also, along with his wife, took the responsibility of providing good food to the queen.
Selection for the Indian hockey team was not easy:
Discipline is the first rule of any field. This is also the rule of hockey games. Learning the tricks of the game for hours and not missing a day's practice. But punctuality is also a priority.
Rani Rampal's journey to get selected for the Indian hockey team was challenging. Training became difficult in every season. If ever it was late, it was punished by the coach. Around nine players from the academy were playing in the national team at that time. Their stories inspired her to work hard and prove his worth.
How could her hard work fail at the age of 14 she became the youngest player to join the Indian hockey team. In June 2009, in the Champion Challenge tournament held in Russia, Rani scored four goals in the final match and won the titles of 'The Top Goal Scorer' and 'Young Player of the Tournament'. She participated in the 2010 Commonwealth Games, where she was also nominated for the FIH's 'Young Woman Player of the Year award.
Due to her excellent performance in the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, she was made a part of the 'All-Star Team' of the 'Asian Hockey Federation'. In the Women's Hockey World Cup held in Argentina, she scored seven goals and led India to seventh place in the world women's hockey rankings. After 1978, this is considered to be the best performance of the Indian hockey team and for this spectacular performance Rani won the 'Best Young Player of the Tournament'.
He represented India in the 2013 Junior World Cup and for the first time, India won the bronze medal. Here also she got the title of 'Player of the Tournament'. In the year 2014, she was awarded the FICCI Comeback of the Year award. In the year 2016, she was awarded the Arjuna Award.
In 2018, before the Asian Games, Rani became the captain of the team. Under her captaincy, the Indian hockey team won a silver medal at the Asian Games in 2018, and also finished fourth in the Commonwealth Games and eighth in the London World Cup.
But today whenever she is asked about her biggest achievement, she simply says, "It is the greatest honor to lead the women's hockey team."
Their first friendly match against Ireland was drawn 1-1, but in the second and final match, their team won the World Cup silver medalist by 3-0. An Indian hockey team in the 2018 Asian Games was Defeated by Japan, and the team had to settle for a silver medal. In 2018, India won the FIH Series Finals and Rani was adjudged the best player of the tournament. It was under Rani's leadership that India qualified for the Olympic Games for the third time.
She will also be honored with the Padma Shri Award by the Government of India. The Padma Awards were announced on January 25, 2020.
President Ram Nath Kovind honored Rani Rampal with the country's highest sports honor Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna on the occasion of Sports Day on 29 August 2020 (Saturday).
The 25-year-old Rani, who played a key role in helping the team qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, is the first woman and third overall to receive the country's highest award. Rani has scored 134 goals in 241 matches.
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