‘The Fans In Bhubaneswar Are Our Twelfth Player’, Says Rani

‘The Fans In Bhubaneswar Are Our Twelfth Player’, Says Rani

The Indian women hockey team is all set for the FIH Olympic qualifying match with the USA to be played on November 1-2 at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar. Captain Rani Rampal is confident about her team and is optimistic to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. In an interaction with My City Links, Rani shared about the big match and about her love for the game. Excerpts:

Q: How big is this match for you?

A: It’s a big dream for every player to get an opportunity to play in the Olympics. So our main aim right now is to qualify for the event. It is one of the biggest games of this year and we will do our best.

Q: Where do you see women hockey in India?

A: In the last three years, women hockey has grown a lot and produced quite good results in most of the matches. People are now aware of women's hockey and are really supportive of cheering for us in the stadium. The graph of women hockey is good and the people’s interest is also growing.

Q: Do you think that the kind of support that the Men’s hockey team gets in India, the same support is given to the women’s hockey team?

A: Lots of things have changed over the years in the sports arena. The sports department both in the Centre and states have started giving emphasis on women sportspersons. The concept of women empowerment is helping women to grow in each and every field. In the Olympics also women players have done well, which is quite encouraging and motivating for others. The attitude towards women sportspersons has changed a lot and now we are getting more support as compared to earlier.

Q: What motivated you to be a hockey player?

A: I am from Haryana and there Hockey is really popular. Many prominent players were from Haryana. So when I was in school I used to aspire to be like them and play for the country.

Q: When you decided to be a hockey player, how much support you got from your family members?

A: When I started playing hockey 20 years ago, it was certainly difficult to get that support from everyone. When I first told my parents about my interest, they were against the idea of playing. It was more due to the fear of society and their reaction to me playing games wearing a small dress. Parents do want their children to do well in life, but certain circumstances force them to talk in a negative way.

It took a lot of effort to convince them to allow me to pursue my passion. I asked them to give me one chance and if I didn’t do well, they could stop me from playing. I am thankful that they gave me that chance and I proved myself.

Q: What was the turning point which helped to change the mindset of your family members?

A: The first two-three years were really difficult for me to build my family’s trust in me. At the tender age of seven, it was really a tough battle to convince my parents. Gradually, however, when I started participating in national matches in the junior category, they felt good and were convinced that would it be good for me too.

Q: Now how do they feel?

A: They are now proud of me. They feel happy that after all those struggles, now I am leading a team for the country. Whenever they see me playing they get emotional.

Q: What does hockey mean to you?

A: Hockey is my life. Hockey has changed my whole life. It helped me to change the life of my parents. It means a lot to me.

Q: What sort of emotions comes up when you are in the field?

A: We represent the country and so when we are in the field, we play for the respect of the national jersey. The players in our team get inspired by each other. When I am in the field, my only focus is to set a good example and lead the team.

Q: If you have to name one memorable match of your career, which one it will be?

A: The last Olympic qualifier match that we played in 2015 in Belgium is the most memorable for me. The Indian women hockey team qualified for the Olympics for the first time. The match was against Japan and we won the match 1-0. It is also special as I scored that goal.

Q: How is the enthusiasm among the team members for the qualifying match?

A: They are really enthusiastic and confident. Immediately after the 2018 Asian Games, we started preparing for the Olympics. We missed our first chance to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics during the Asian Games and now this is our second chance. We have intensified our preparation for the past 15 days. Our team is ready and we hope that we would be able to implement what we have learned during our training.

Q: What is your expectation from the Bhubaneswar crowd?

A: I am happy that we are playing in Bhubaneswar. The crowd here is one of the best in the world. Here the people are passionate about hockey; no matter whether it’s raining or cold, they would turn up to cheer you. They are our twelfth player and we get lots of energy from them. I am not expecting as I know for certain that they will be there to support us.