Rani Rampal, Indian women’s hockey group captain, is determined to repay her coach and family for their assistance with a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Rani Rampal’s journey from a kid who could not afford a hockey stick to becoming the youngest player in the national women’s hockey group to participate in the 2010 World Cup (she certified when she was only 15), is practically nothing quick of inspirational. The 26-year-old opened up about her journey in an interview with Humans of Bombay.
“I wanted an escape from my life; from the electricity shortages, to the mosquitoes buzzing in our ear when we slept, from barely having two square meals to seeing our home getting flooded when it rained,” she mentioned.
Rani Rampal’s mother worked as a maid, her father was a cart-puller. There was a hockey academy close to their home, and Rani would invest hours watching the teams play, and longing to join them. Her father, who earned about Rs 80 a day, could not afford to purchase her a hockey stick, she recalls.
“Everyday, I’d ask the coach to teach me too. He’d reject me because I was malnourished,” mentioned Rani.
Undeterred, she identified a broken hockey stick and started practicing on her personal. Finally, right after a lot of convincing, the coach decided to give her a attempt – but it wasn’t all smooth-sailing from there.
At the academy, all children have been anticipated to bring 500ml of milk each and every day. “My family could only afford milk worth 200 ml; without telling anyone, I’d mix the milk with water and drink it because I wanted to play,” Rani told Humans of Bombay.
Moreover, everybody was anticipated to start out coaching early in the morning. With no clock at home, her mother would keep up and look at the sky to verify if it was the proper time to wake Rani up.
But the hockey player identified assistance in her coach also, not just her family. “He’d buy me hockey kits and shoes. He even allowed me to live with his family and took care of my dietary needs. I’d train hard and wouldn’t miss a single day of practice,” Rani Rampal remembered.
After earning her initially salary – Rs 500 on winning a tournament – Rani handed the dollars to her father. “He hadn’t ever held so much money in his hands before. I promised my family, ‘One day, we’re going to have our own home’; I did everything in my power to work towards that.”
After various state championships, Rani Rampal got the national contact when she was 15. “With my family’s support, I focused on doing my best for India and eventually, I became captain of the Indian hockey team!” she mentioned.
Four years ago, Rani was in a position to fulfil the guarantee she had made her family – she purchased a residence for them. ” We cried together and held each other tightly! And I’m not done yet; this year, I’m determined to repay them and Coach with something they’ve always dreamed of- a gold medal from Tokyo,” she concluded.
Rani Rampal’s inspiring journey from broken hockey sticks to the Tokyo Olympics has struck a chord with social media customers. While her post has racked up thousands of ‘likes’, the comments section has been flooded with people today congratulating and complimenting the athlete.
“Brought tears to my eyes. This woman from Madagascar will be rooting for India’s hockey team!” wrote one Facebook user.
“As a hockey player myself, I salute you. Your determination and courage in the face of so adversity, is encouraging. I am glad that you are an inspiration,” one more mentioned.