Top 5 Indian hockey players of 2016
2016 has been a year of mixed fortunes for Hockey India. While, some great victories were notched, the national team failed to leave a mark at the all-important Rio Olympics. Nonetheless, the men’s senior team finished second at the Sultan Azlan Shah tournament in Malaysia, were runners-up at the Champions trophy held in London, and subsequently crowned the champions at the Asian Champions trophy.
As for the women, akin to their male counterparts, they emerged victorious at the Asian Champions Trophy after trouncing China in the final.
However, the landmark victory of the year came just last Sunday, when the Indian colts showcased their prowess to win the Junior Hockey World Cup in Lucknow after a hiatus of 15 years.
During, the entire course of 2016, there were many players who shined on the field, Sportskeeda looks at the best 5 Indian hockey players from the past year:
#5 Rani Rampal
The 22-year old player from Haryana leads the attack for the Indian eves in the capacity of a lethal striker. At the tender age of 15, she was the youngest player in the national team which participated in the 2010 World Cup and has been impressive ever since.
Having come a long way from then, she forms an integral part of the women’s team today and played an instrumental role in the forward line when the eves won the Asian Champions Trophy, defeating the Chinese in the final encounter and subsequently in the away series against Australia in November.
Having earned three nominations for the annual FIH Best Young Woman Player, Rani has been at the fulcrum of the Indian’s women’s success in the recent years.