RANI RAMPAL has no starry airs; humility has been the hallmark of India’s hockey captain. Around her neck is a reminder of her passion—a gold pendant with two hockey sticks and a ball. For a prodigy who debuted at 14 and came from a humble background—her father was a cart puller—she has grown into one of India’s finest forwards and has been a vital part of the team’s revival in recent years.
Her latest achievement was the goal she scored in the 48th minute of the qualifier against the US, which helped her team beat the Americans 6-5 on aggregate and qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. “It is a team effort,” she told THE WEEK with a shy smile. “The ball came from the back to me, the girls ensured the ball remained in the circle and it was passed to me.”
Though she has a lot of responsibilities—captain and striker of the team, and main breadwinner of the family—she does not let it show. She soldiers on with grit and patience.
Her team, too, has grown with her, especially under coach Sjoerd Marijne. There is a healthy mix of experience and youth; it is a fitter, faster and stronger unit. Marijne and scientific adviser Wayne Lombard, along with a trainer, physiotherapist and sports psychologist, have worked to create a team that has set a high benchmark in technical, physical and mental toughness. “A lot of girls are running at higher than 20 [in the yo-yo test],” Marijne told THE WEEK. “When we came, the team was not running higher than 18. We have the ability to play different tactical games. In the first [qualifier], we were able to intercept in our own 25 yards and counter at really high speeds. This was not possible [at the time] I arrived in India (in 2017).”
Lombard told THE WEEK: “We did a GPS analysis and compared it with other teams. (Our team’s) distance covered, high-speed running and intensity are up there with the best in the world. The important part is to repeat this process game after game. We have improved more and more.”
Simply put, what helped Rani and company focus on the job at hand were stronger legs, fitter bodies, better equilibrium and full faith in their ability to beat any opponent. The element of luck has been minimal. It was all meticulously planned. “It has been a long process to get the girls to express themselves, get them stronger and fitter and to make them understand that to compete at the highest level, you need to keep up physically,” said Lombard. “They are recovering quicker from back-to-back games, and from high-intensity effort within a game.”
Rani has been at the forefront of this upward journey. She debuted in the national team in 2008, at 14, and played a key role in helping India qualify for the 2016 Olympics, the first time in 36 years, and again in 2019. “When I was 14, I did not know about the Olympics,” said Rani. “[It was my] first tournament, but last for many teammates. A lot of players were crying as it was the end of their careers. Suman Bala didi, who was in tears, told me ‘One day you have to be like them (the US)’. I realised what the Olympics was when we did not qualify for the London edition in 2012. There was a huge struggling period in between. I remember staying in this same hotel in Delhi; for 10 days I would cry sitting outside my room.”
Rani’s smile returns as she speaks about how she helped the team qualify for the 2016 Olympics. “Last time we qualified, I thought, ‘If we don’t, who will?’. But this was a very special qualifier for our team,” she said. “There is a huge difference between then and now. Many players now have Olympics experience. We had a lot of talented players earlier, but not the facilities. This team can do well.”
The 2018-19 season was hectic for the players. They made it to the quarterfinals of the FIH World Cup and lost a close Asian Games final to Japan. And despite ranking higher than the US (9 and 13, respectively), the qualifier was never going to be a cakewalk. The US had finished 5th in Rio; India had not won a single match. “Savita (Punia, goalkeeper) was stressed conceding four goals, but I told her do not be tense,” said Rani. “After the match, Savita and Rajni Bala said, ‘You have kept the dream of many players alive’, but for me it was a team effort.”
Marijne praises Rani for her leadership, which is an added responsibility for the lead striker. “If you see her goal [against the US], others created the chance,” he said. “Rani knows this and is humble. She is growing in her leadership.”
For the past few years, Rani has been playing with recurring injuries. And it was a challenge for Marijne and Lombard to make Rani injury-free, fit and strong for four important matches in 2019—FIH League Series semifinal and final, and the two Olympic qualifiers. “It was a difficult period for me, especially this year,” she said. “In the World Cup, too, I played with an injury. I had a shoulder injury. I played the Commonwealth Games final with it. There was not one night when I did not go to bed crying. Lombard really supported me. Sometimes I had to work more than others in the gym. I used to tell him I cannot do it, there is a limit to everything. Our coach was understanding. If Wayne said ‘no training’, he would agree.”
Data Lombard collected on the workload capacity of each player was also key to Rani’s recovery. “As soon as we hit the threshold or red zone, we know we have to give her time between different sessions. It applies to all players,” he said. Key was also the trust Lombard built with each player. “After we qualified, we looked at each other—I was in tears,” said Rani. “He told me, ‘Today you scored the most important goal for the team’. That is when I learnt patience is important. I am thankful we have such a good coaching staff. Hockey India sends injured players quickly to rehab camps and SAI supports us so well.”
The team now has close to seven months to fine-tune its game plan for the Tokyo Olympics. “At different stages in the next few months, we will focus on different things,” said Lombard.
The goal is to dominate on the pitch with high speed, ball control and greater possession. “That is what we want to be—our strongest when we get the ball on the stick,” said Lombard. “We want them to be exposed to not just express fitness, but fitness of high intensity.”