6 Indian women's hockey players you need to know
It has been long since “Chak De India” awed the nation with it’s portrayal of how the Indian Women’s hockey team in the film fights all odds to emerge victorious at the World Cup. The movie was inspired by true events that led to the Indian women’s hockey team actually winning the gold medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Sadly, while Preeti Sabharwal and Komal Chautala continue to remain household names event today, the true legends of women’s hockey in India still await their due share of the limelight.With the FIH World League Round 2 all set to commence on March 7 at New Delhi, here are six names from the Indian women’s hockey team that deserve to be well known.
#1 Ritu Rani
The current captain of the Indian eves, Ritu Rani is a midfielder who has 193 international caps to her credit. Born in 1991 in Haryana, she started training in the sport at the tender age of 12 at the famous Shahbad Academy there. By the time she was 14, she had already been a part of the national squad at the 2006 World Cup in Madrid, the youngest player in the team.
She was the top scorer at the 2009 Champions Challenge II in Kazan, Russia, scoring a total of eight goals and contributing crucially to India’s victory at the tournament. After becoming the captain in 2011, Rani led the team to bronze medals at the 2013 Asia Cup in Kuala Lumpur and the 2014 Aisan Games in Incheon.