Rani Rampal, India's Most Decorated Women's Hockey Player, Announces Her Retirement At Age 29

One of Team India's women's hockey players has called time on his career, marking the end of a splendid era which put the women's side on the map. Rani Rampal, the former India Women's Hockey Captain, has officially announced her retirement at the age of 29. She will step down as one of the most decorated players in the Indian women's hockey team.  

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India Hockey Star Rani Rampal Announces Her Retirement At Age 29

India's premier women's hockey star, Rani Rampal, has announced her retirement from competitive action. The Hockey player will sign off as one of India's most decorated hockey players after leading the women's team to its best-ever finish at the Olympics -- a fourth place at the Tokyo Games in 2021. She decided to call time in her career after being in action for 16 years. 

"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," Rani Rampal told the reporters in a press conference.

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Rampal is a clinical forward who made her international debut in 2008 as a 14-year-old in the Olympic qualifiers that year. Since then, Rani has scored 205 goals in her 254 outings for the Indian women's Hockey Team. She was honoured with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2020 and was also a recipient of the Padma Shri, the country's fourth highest civilian award, in the same year.

The star Indian women's hockey star will be ending a glittering 16-year career. Her rise to stardom is a story to remember as she became an inspiration for her phenomenal ascend from a small town in Haryana where her father worked as a cart-puller.

While she has announced her retirement from competitive action, Rani Rampal will continue to associate herself with the game. Rampal was recently roped in as the national coach for sub-junior women players, and the 29-year-old will be the mentor for the young girls who aim to excel in the sport which the country has been gradually showcasing their stardom. She is also a part of the Soorma Hockey Club in the Women's HIL, where she will be the coach and mentor for the women's team.

[With PTI Inputs]