Interview: My parents struggled to buy me a hockey stick, says gifted Indian hockey player Rani Rampal
Rani Rampal is the big hope of Indian women’s hockey
She is considered a precious commodity in Indian women’s hockey. Rani Rampal is indeed one who has managed to make the hockey world sit up and take notice of her exploits.
The talented 18-year-old has been out of the national team for a long while due to a prolonged back injury, but is now ready to shoulder the responsibility as vice captain of the Indian junior hockey team for the upcoming 7th Junior Women’s World Cup beginning in Monchengladbach, Germany from July 27.
The proficient forward is determined to put the back injury behind her and help India produce an impactful performance in the 7th Junior Women’s World Cup.
“I’m glad to be back in the national team. I had been dealing with my back injury for a long time. I did not play the Champions Challenge tourney last year as well as the six-match Test series against New Zealand. I played in the Hockey World League Round 2 event in New Delhi. I even went to the Netherlands for an exposure trip ahead of the Hockey World League Round 3 event, but the selectors took a call to rest me for the Rotterdam event keeping in mind the 7th World Cup,” Rani says in an exclusive interview to Sportskeeda.
The mercurial forward, who was voted the best young player of the 2010 World Cup in Rosario, assesses India chances in the marquee event. “I never see any team as a favourite be it the Netherlands, Germany or Korea; in modern hockey any team is beatable and no team can be taken lightly. It all depends on how a team plays to its fullest potential on a given day, that’s all matters,” the youngster, bubbling with enthusiasm, calls spade a spade.
There is a lot of talk that the Indian junior women’s team is fairly well balanced as it comprises twelve players from the senior team that finished a dismal seventh in the Hockey World League Round 3 event in Rotterdam. Rani seeks to clear the air regarding the same.
“Well, if you look at our side, it still lacks in experience. No doubt, twelve players are part of the senior team that played recently in Rotterdam, but you got to realize that these are all youngsters who have made it to the senior team in the last twelve months or so. If you take me out along with Poonam Rani and Vandana Katariya, the rest are relatively newcomers,” the girl, who was named in FIH All Star XI and Asian All Star XI in 2010, reasons.
Rani Rampal, Poonam Rani and Vandana Katariya are only three survivors of the Indian junior team that finished ninth in the last edition in 2009 in Boston. Clearly, the nippy forward, who is the youngest senior India debutant at 14, is keen to see her country improve on their Boston event. “We trained hard for the World Cup, hopefully we will turn in a much improved effort this time around,” she exudes hope.