GANDHINAGAR: For former India women's hockey team captain Rani Rampal, all started at the Guwahati National Games in 2007. Only 13 then, Rani impressed the then national coach of the women's team, MK Kaushik, with her skill while playing for eventual champions Haryana. Post those Games, she found her way to the national camp.
Life can come full circle for the ace forward if the Haryana player manages to make her comeback to the national fold by leaving her mark at the ongoing National Games here in Gujarat."National Games is a very special tournament for me as I made it to the national camp only after shining at the event in 2007. I was quite young at that time and (late) MK Kaushik selected me for the camp. So in every sense, I have a special connection with the Games and it will remain forever," the 27-year-old Shahbad player told this daily.
She also represented Haryana in the next edition held in Ranchi in 2011 and won a second gold for the state in the event. Given the mix of experienced and young players the side has for this edition, Rani is confident of her team winning the gold and she completing a hat-trick of titles. Haryana has reached the semifinals and they will play Jharkhand on Sunday for a place in the final, scheduled on October 11.
Rani led the India women's side to its best-ever finish (fourth) at the 2020 Olympics last year but has been out of the team since then due to injury. She made a comeback by playing an FIH Pro League match against hosts Belgium earlier this year. Coincidentally, the match was also her 250th appearance for the country.
Emphasising that the hamstring injury, which has sidelined her for the most part of the past year, has healed completely, Rani said she can only control things which are in her hands. "I did rehabilitation post the Tokyo Games and came back. I have been training regularly in the camp. I can only work on the field every single day as that is in my hands. If I get a chance to play for the country again, I will give my all as I had in the past."
She made her India debut in 2008 and has been in the circuit for the past 14 years. Playing competitive games for the major part of the year is not easy and players have to evolve and follow different plans to keep playing for a long period of time. For Rani, the focus is remaining injury free and doing the basics right.
"Mostly, I try to keep myself injury free. I try to have a sound sleep of 8-10 hours at night so that I can train well the next day. Discipline has been my mantra for me throughout my playing career and I still abide by it. I also plan my diet with my nutritionist and strictly follow instructions on what to eat and what not to eat so that I recover in time."
She closely watched her teammates competing in the 2022 World Cup and Commonwealth Games. While the team finished ninth at the World Cup, they clinched a third medal in Birmingham by finishing third. Rani admits that playing such big tournaments is difficult but says the team did well in both events.
"We played good hockey. Everybody puts in a lot of effort. Such tournaments have different phases and you have to perform well in all those periods. As far as I have observed, we need to work on our finishing skills. No matter how hard we work, if we do not finish properly then we cannot win matches. Besides, we need to improve the execution of our penalty corners."
India women will play Nations Cup in Spain from December 10 to 17 in their bid to qualify for the Pro League for next season. The Savita Punia-led side finished third this season behind Argentina and the Netherlands. Rani feels the podium finishers should have been given direct entry but backs her team to qualify by winning the event. "You cannot change the rules. But I am confident we can win the tournament. Spain is a good team and it all depends on how we play on that given day," she added.
The players including Rani will get a 10-day break after the Games and will reassemble for the national camp in Bengaluru on October 26. Hopefully, for Rani, the event once again paves the way for the national team as it did 15 years ago.