TIRUPATI: Etimarpu Rajani, an ace player and former Indian hockey goalkeeper, journeyed from a remote village near Yerravaripalem in Tirupati district to the international stage. Her story is one of struggle, determination and hard work. Born into a modest family, with her father working as a carpenter, she grew up in a small village where opportunities were limited. As a student in a government school, she walked nearly 12 kilometres every day to attend classes. Her interest in sports began at school, where her PET Venkatraju introduced students to different games before identifying her potential as a goalkeeper and guiding her towards hockey.
Etimarpu Rajani shared her vision for the future with TNIE, expressing her determination to mentor young girls from government welfare hostels and guide them towards excellence in sports.
“Our village is very small, and we had very few opportunities. But my father believed in my interest and, despite financial difficulties, sent me to Tirupati for hockey coaching,” Rajani said.
Her early training days were full of challenges. She had to travel nearly 75 kilometres for coaching, manage expenses and stay away from home at a young age. With the support of mentors like Prasanna Kumar Reddy, she entered professional training and started competing at higher levels. By 2008, she was playing at the national level and by 2009, she became part of the senior Indian team, marking the beginning of a long and successful career.
Rajani went on to represent India in several international tournaments. She played a key role in India’s qualification for the 2016 Rio Olympics and was part of the team that achieved a historic fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics. She also won medals in the Asian and Commonwealth Games and later captained the team to a silver medal in the FIH Hockey5s World Cup. She retired in mid-2024 after one of the longest careers among women hockey players.
“In the beginning, I played many games. But when my coach said I had a future as a goalkeeper, that decision changed my life. For nearly 15 years, I missed festivals and family time. But representing the country always made me feel proud,” she said.
Her journey was not without difficulties. She faced injuries, long journeys without proper support and health challenges during the COVID period when the Olympics were postponed. At one stage, she took a break from her career to focus on family and motherhood. However, her passion for the game brought her back, and she continued to perform at the highest level before retiring.
State government and CM Nara Chandrababu Naidu recognised her efforts and provided support, including Rs 25 lakh financial assistance and a house site. This encouragement helped her move forward and also inspired others.
“Without support, even talented players struggle to move forward. I want other players to get the opportunities that I received. I met IT Minister Nara Lokesh during his recent visit to Tirupati and had a interaction with him. I shared my ambition of developing underprivileged girls and boys from AP into strong hockey players. He appreciated the idea and assured his support, which gave me great encouragement,” she highlighted.
Now she is focusing on giving back to society. Starting this June, she plans to train 60 to 70 rural girls from government welfare hostels in Tirupati and Chandragiri. She aims to provide coaching, build strong basics and give opportunities to talented children from underprivileged backgrounds.
“I don’t want these children to face the same struggles I went through. That is why I am starting this journey again with the welfare hostel girls and boys, too. In the next 10 years, I want to see players from AP competing at the international level. That is my goal,” Rajani stressed.
Looking ahead, she is planning to expand this initiative across Andhra Pradesh. She wants to include both girls and boys from welfare hostels, improve infrastructure like Astroturf facilities and identify talent through district-level programs. Currently, Rajani is working as OSD for Sports Affairs with the Central Railway.
Rajani’s journey is not just about her achievements as a player but also about her commitment to building the future of sports in rural areas. From walking long distances to school to representing India and now mentoring young athletes, her story continues to inspire many.