Rani Rampal eager to shine as a mentor and coach in inaugural edition of Women’s Hockey India League

Hyderabad: Former Indian women’s hockey team’s captain Rani Rampal is eager to don a new hat as the new Women’s Hockey India League takes shape. Rani, who has not announced her retirement from the sport yet, made a decision to not enrol as a player in the Hockey India League but will make her presence felt in the league as a coach.

The 30-year-old will be the mentor and coach of the Soorma Hockey Club of Punjab and Haryana, one of the four teams in the inaugural edition of the Womens’ Hockey India League.

Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers, Delhi SG Pipers and Odisha Warriors are the other three teams in the four-team league. The organisers, Hockey India, have confirmed that the league will grow into a six-team league from the second year onwards.

In a candid chat with the media and news agencies on the sidelines of the Women’s Hockey India League auction, Rani said hockey is her passion and she would take up any opportunity to serve Indian hockey. “Hockey is my passion and I played my entire career with that. It was always in my mind that I will definitely accept any opportunity to serve Indian hockey. Hockey was always on my mind,” the former Indian captain said.

The Haryana-based player added that it feels good to be a part of the coaching team for a change. “I tried a lot to make a comeback in the national team but could not do so before the Paris Olympics. I had waited for many years for this women’s league and when it started, it felt very good to be a part of the coaching staff and not as a player,” she added.

Rani, a Padma Shri awardee, scored 134 goals in 212 matches for India, said the league will surely help players financially, who mostly come from humble backgrounds. “The purse for the auction is less but the first step is always difficult. Same is the case with Hockey India but hopefully more teams will come forward and the purse will also increase. Our players come from very humble backgrounds so this league will help them a lot financially too,” she said.

The 30-year-old said she would take a call on her playing career after the league ends. “I am a female player and I have faced a lot of struggles. A player is always a player. The desire to play never ends. But sometimes you have to make a difficult decision and I decided to join the coaching staff. It is difficult to talk about retirement right now. Now I will face a new challenge in the league and after that I will make a final decision,” she explained.