Hockey Star Rani Rampal Becomes First Woman To Have Stadium Named After Her

Rani Rampal is one of the leading female hockey players in India who was also the captain of the national team that represented India in the Tokyo Olympics, one of the most nail-biting and exciting matches and the team that made India immensely proud with their performance.

Rani Rampal has contributed immensely to field hockey in India with almost 134 goals in her name in 212 matches to date.

The 28-year-old striker and mid-fielder from Haryana was only 15 years old when she joined the national women's field hockey team for the World Cup in 2010. From there to becoming the captain of the team, Rani Rampal has won hearts and tournaments and her performance has earned her the title of the 'Rani' or queen of field hockey in India.

The Padma Shri recipient added another feat to her career as she became the first-ever female hockey player to have a stadium named after her.

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Rani Rampal Hockey Stadium

The MCF Rae Bareli Stadium was recently renamed to Rani's Girls Hockey Turf and Rani Rampal was present at the event celebrating the renaming. She shared the news on her social media telling how proud she was to be honoured in such a way that she will continue to inspire generations to come. She also extended her gratitude for becoming the first female hockey player in India to have a stadium renamed after her.

Rani Rampal led the women's hockey team during the Tokyo Olympics, the tournament that proved to be a turning point in the history of women's hockey in India. Though the team did not win a medal, their performance was immensely appreciated as it was the first time in years that the Indian women's hockey team entered the semi-finals of the Olympics.

At that time, she spoke with SheThePeople about the importance of the mental health of players considering the pressure during such big tournaments. Rani Rampal said the mental health of players was very critical and as important as physical strength.

Rampal said, "We have to work on our mind just as much as we do on our physical fitness routine."