Hockey legend Rani Rampal calls time on career; reminisces most memorable moment of her career
Indian women’s hockey great Rani Rampal declared her retirement in front of a large audience at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium on Thursday. The ex-captain reminisced about her favorite memory from her 16-year career and recognized the importance of the venue where she made the announcement.
“The Tokyo Olympics quarterfinals victory over Australia is my most cherished career memory as it marked the women’s team’s first top four finish,” Rani Rampal told IANS after the second match of the India v Germany bilateral series.
“It is a great privilege for me to retire at a venue named after legendary hockey player Major Dhyanchand. This was the first event being played here in 11 years. I last played here during the 2012 Olympic qualifiers and I am thrilled to have announced my retirement at this venue,” she added.
Rani’s decision comes days after she was roped in as the coach of the sub-junior national team.
Hockey India on Thursday honoured her remarkable contribution by retiring her iconic No. 28 jersey in a ceremony held after the India vs Germany bilateral series.
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The Legacy of Rani Rampal
Rani has had an extraordinary impact on Indian hockey. Throughout her career, she played over 250 games for India and netted more than 100 goals, guiding the team to numerous significant wins. She played a crucial role in India’s achievement of silver medals at the 2017 Women’s Asian Cup and the 2018 Asian Games where she had the honour of serving as India’s flag-bearer during the closing ceremony.
At the age of 14 in 2008, Rani became the youngest hockey player to represent India during the Olympic qualifiers, marking her international debut. At the age of 15, she joined the Indian team for the 2010 World Cup, scoring seven goals and contributing to India’s highest ranking since 1978, placing them ninth in the world.
In her career, Rani has shown impressive flexibility by playing in two different positions, as both a forward and a midfielder. She played a crucial role in important wins like the 2017 Women’s Asian Cup silver medal and the 2018 Asian Games silver medal, where she also led India’s team in the closing ceremony.
Rani’s leadership was evident during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she captained the Indian women’s hockey team to a historic fourth-place finish, the team’s highest Olympic standing to date.
