Queen of Indian Hockey Rani Rampal retires from the Game
Person in News
4 min read
The 30-year-old former Indian women's hockey captain Rani Rampal, also known as the queen of Indian hockey, announced her retirement from the game on 24 October 2024. The hockey governing body in India, Hockey India, has decided to retire the No.28 jersey as an honour to Rani Rampal. Rani used to wear jersey no.28 while playing for India.
Rani Rampal is the first Indian women's hockey player in the country where a stadium has been named after. The Raebareli stadium of the Indian railway’s Modern Coach Factory has been renamed as Rani’s Girls Hockey Turf.
Rani Rampal played 254 international matches and scored 120 goals for India.
Rani Rampal's Career Record and Achievements
Rani Rampal who belongs to Haryana made her debut for India at the age of 14 years in the Olympic qualifiers in Kazan, Russia in 2008.
Just at the age of 15 years she represented India at the 12th Women’s Hockey World Cup held in Argentina 2010. She scored 5 out of the 7 goals scored by the Indian team in the tournament. Her brilliant performance earned her the 'Young Player of the Tournament Award.
Rani Rampal was part of the Indian team that bagged a silver medal at the Asia Cup in 2009 and the bronze medal-winning India team at the 2014 Incheon, South Korea, Asian Games.
In 2018 Rani was named the captain of the Indian women hockey team. Under her leadership,the Indian team won a silver medal at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games, and made it to the quarter-finals of the 2018 World Cup held in London, United Kingdom.
In the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, she led India to a historic fourth-place position.
Queen of India Hockey
Rani Rampal is also called the queen of Indian women’s hockey. After her retirement from hockey, she took up a coaching assignment.
In 2023, she was named the coach of India’s under-17 team.
She has also been named coach and mentor of the Soorma Hockey Club in the Hockey India League.
Awards for Rani Rampal
In 2020, Rani Rampal was awarded India’s highest sporting award, the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
In 2020, Rani was conferred India’s fourth highest civilian award, Padma Shri.
