A 7-year-old Rani Rampal never thought she’d go on to play for the Indian women’s hockey team for more than a decade. On Thursday, at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in New Delhi, she brought down the curtains on a glittering career – with its share of highs and lows – as she announced her retirement. And so, the 29-year-old finished her playing career with 254 matches, including the honour of leading India back to the Olympic Games in Rio, and a famous yet heartbreaking fourth-placed finish in Tokyo. Rani rose from Shahabad, Haryana and made her international debut as a 14-year-old. But her journey to that point was one filled with obstacles. “There was a lot of struggle because my childhood was not that good, but the passion never ended,” the former India captain, who was born to a cart-puller, said. “I just wanted to represent the country. My parents saw a lot of poverty. Mujhe lagta hai waise toh woh gareeb the, par soch unki ameer thi (their thinking was very rich). Because …