Rani RAMPAL

After pleading with her orthodox parents to let her play hockey, Rani, who idolized the legendary Dhanraj Pillay growing up, began training at a local academy aged six. Once she made it to the national side, it all started paying off.

“I hate living with regret,” says the Arjuna and Padma Shri awardee. “I believe in discipline and routines. I believe in hard work because even if I don't reach my goal, I can look at myself in the mirror and say I gave it my all.”

It was perhaps her discipline that led her to headline performances for the Indian hockey women’s team and allowed her to hit the ground running.

She was adjudged ‘Young Player of the Tournament’ after emerging as the highest scorer in FIH Women’s Champions Challenge II in 2009 and then was a part of the Indian team that bagged a silver medal at the 2009 Asia Cup.

Rani Rampal was named ‘Young Player of the Tournament’ at the 2010 World Cup and at the 2013 Junior World Cup, and then helped India clinch a bronze at the 2014 Asian Games before she broke out of her teens.

While her first Olympic experience in Rio was underwhelming as India finished 12th, Rani Rampal continued to play a pivotal role in the side and she was soon named captain of the national team.

Under Rani’s leadership, India won a silver medal at the 2018 Asian Games, reached the quarter-final at the 2018 World Cup and finished fourth at the Commonwealth Games in the same year.

Rani Rampal was in inspired form in 2019 as well, guiding her team to the Tokyo Olympics after a major scare that needed her intervention in the form of a decisive goal in the second half of the second leg of India’s qualifier against the USA.

At Tokyo 2020, Rani Rampal scored the first goal of India’s campaign as they began with a 5-1 loss to the Netherlands.

After group-stage losses to Germany and Great Britain, India scraped through to the quarter-finals with narrow wins over Ireland and South Africa.

The Indian hockey team then stunned favourites Australia in the quarter-finals before falling to Argentina in the semis. With the bronze medal on the line, India lost 4-3 to Great Britain in a heartbreaking encounter.

Through this magical campaign, skipper Rani Rampal was a pivotal part of the team, ably running the midfield and being a constant attacking threat.

Following her Tokyo 2020 exploits, Rani Rampal struggled with injuries before finally hanging up her boots in 2024. However, she continues to serve Indian hockey in the capacity of a coach.

She was named coach of India’s under-17 team by Hockey India in 2023. This year, she also took on the role of coach and mentor for the Soorma Hockey Club in the upcoming Hockey India League.