All posts tagged: rani rampal

Rani Rampal ties the knot with CA Pankaj Saroha

Rani Rampal ties the knot with CA Pankaj Saroha

Published by Webster

Indian hockey icon and former captain Rani Rampal has entered a new chapter in her life as she tied the knot with CA Pankaj Saroha in a beautiful ceremony held on Sunday, surrounded by family and close friends. Rani, one of India’s most celebrated athletes and a true inspiration for women in sports, has led the Indian women’s hockey team to several historic milestones on the global stage. 🏑Former Women’s #Hockey team captain Rani Rampal tied the knot with Pankaj Saroha in a ceremony held today, surrounded by family and close friends. We wish her all the very best for this new chapter of her life💐 pic.twitter.com/e06McAMj10 — The Bridge (@the_bridge_in) November 2, 2025 Her husband, Pankaj Saroha, is a Chartered Accountant by profession. The couple’s union marks a moment of joy and celebration, as they look forward to a life filled with love, respect, and shared dreams. They extend their heartfelt gratitude for the warm wishes and blessings pouring in from fans, friends, and well-wishers across the country. Disclaimer: We do not own any …

My aim is to make the most of this opportunity: Suman Devi Thoudam

My aim is to make the most of this opportunity: Suman Devi Thoudam

Published by Webster

Suman Devi Thoudam has made a stirring comeback to the Indian Women’s Hockey Team, earning a spot in the squad set to compete in the European leg of the FIH Pro League 2025. This marks her return to international hockey after a gap of three years, with her last appearance for India dating back to 2022. Expressing her excitement, Suman shared, “I’m thrilled to be making a comeback to the Indian squad. I first joined the national camp in 2016 and played for both the junior and senior national teams for a few years. My last outing with the senior team was three years ago in Bhubaneswar, where I played a Pro League match against the Netherlands in the year 2022.” The 25-year-old defender, who hails from Imphal, Manipur, opened up about her journey after being dropped from the core group. Despite the setback, she remained resolute. “I never gave up on hockey,” she said. “I focused on refining my defensive skills, tackling, and man-to-man marking at the Sports Authority of India’s National Centre of …

Hockey: In Kukuda’s Sunelita Toppo and Sonepat’s Sakshi Rana, two teenage hopes for India’s future | Hockey News

Hockey: In Kukuda’s Sunelita Toppo and Sonepat’s Sakshi Rana, two teenage hopes for India’s future | Hockey News

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Sunelita Toppo is on the move, and four Germans are running to stop her. A pass is played in her direction from the right flank and even before it reaches her, the puny attacker is surrounded by the quartet in pink, each one at least a head taller than her. On the run, Sunelita opens up her body to receive the ball. In a single motion, she cuts left to eliminate one opponent, then shuffles to the right and changes direction to wrong-foot two more. It opens up enough space to thread a forward pass. Just like that, another raid on Germany’s defence was launched. For those fleeting few seconds, it was easy to forget that Sunelita was all of 17. By the time she’ll legally be an adult, Sunelita could well be a ‘veteran’ on the hockey field. Within a year of her debut at the age of 16, she has made more than two dozen international appearances. Story continues below this ad Like her, another 17-year-old has been turning heads over the last …

Hockey: Rani Rampal juggles dual roles to inspire Haryana’s National Games triumph | Hockey News

Hockey: Rani Rampal juggles dual roles to inspire Haryana’s National Games triumph | Hockey News

Published by Webster

The start wasn’t ideal for the Haryana women’s hockey team in the final of National Games final against Madhya Pradesh on Thursday at the Vandana Katariya Hockey Stadium in Haridwar. They trailed 0-1 at halftime in the gold medal match and were struggling. However, their captain and Indian hockey legend Rani Rampal inspired the team to a fine comeback, as Haryana banged four goals past Madhya Pradesh to clinch gold. And after the game ended, another huddle talk followed where Rani asked her players to soak in the moment and enjoy the medal. “I told them to be themselves and don’t worry about the result,” Rani said after the match. “A good leader is the one who gets the best out of their players and I did just that in the halftime.” It wasn’t just her words that inspired Haryana’s win. The former Indian captain Rani was back on the field after a long time and playing in her fifth national games, she finished the tournament as top scorer with six goals. Talking about her …

Rani Rampal announces retirement: ‘Parents saw lot of poverty, but their thinking was progressive, they let me pursue hockey’ | Hockey News

Rani Rampal announces retirement: ‘Parents saw lot of poverty, but their thinking was progressive, they let me pursue hockey’ | Hockey News

Published by Webster

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 …

Former India hockey captain Rani Rampal announces retirement | Hockey News

Former India hockey captain Rani Rampal announces retirement | Hockey News

Published by Webster

Former India women’s team captain Rani Rampal on Thursday announced her retirement, marking an end of a 16-year-old career. Hailing from a small town in Haryana, the 29-year-old hockey player had lead the women’s team to their best ever finish at an Olympics, coming fourth in the Tokyo Games in 2021. She has also helped the team win a Junior World Cup medal, Asian Cup, and was one of the key reasons why India could qualify for the back-to-back Olympics for the first time. “It’s been an outstanding journey. I never thought I will play for so long for India. I have seen a lot of poverty from childhood but focus was always to do something, represent the country,” she told reporters here. Hockey India (HI) decided to retire Rani’s jersey number 28 to honour her glorious career. She was also given Rs 10 lakh by HI. An era of excellence comes to an end! 🇮🇳🏑 Today, we bid farewell to the one and only Rani Rampal, an icon who has defined Indian hockey for …

Former Indian hockey captain Rani Rampal announces retirement

Former Indian hockey captain Rani Rampal announces retirement

Published by Webster

New Delhi: Former Indian hockey skipper Rani Rampal announced her retirement on Thursday ending a glittering career of 16 years in the blue jersey. Rani became an inspiration for female athletes across the country with her meteoric rise from a small town in Haryana to a global star. Coming from a poor family background, Rani’s father used to pull carts and she struggled during her early days of hockey. “Seven-year-old Rani would have never thought that she would play for the country one day and retire after playing more than 250 games in this prestigious jersey,” Rani told the reporters on the sidelines of the India and Germany bilateral hockey series in Delhi. The 29-year-old will sign off as one of India’s most decorated hockey players after leading the women’s team to its best-ever finish at the Olympics — a fourth place at the Tokyo Games in 2021. “I have no regrets from my playing days at all. I left everything on the hockey turf and gave my 100%. I think this is the right …

‘My experience will help youngsters’: Rani Rampal on her mentor role in inaugural Women’s HIL

‘My experience will help youngsters’: Rani Rampal on her mentor role in inaugural Women’s HIL

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Image Source : RANIRAMPAL/X Indian hockey player Rani Rampal The star Indian hockey player Rani Rampal expressed her thoughts on a new mentorship role in an inaugural Women’s Hockey Indian League in an exclusive interaction with India TV news on Wednesday. The former Indian captain will be seen as the mentor and coach of Soorma Hockey Club of Punjab and Haryana in the breakaway league for Indian women’s hockey players.  The 29-year-old Indian forward with the experience of over 250 international games, is set for a new chapter in her life. She dominated the hockey field to earn the ‘Queen of Indian Hockey’ and now is looking to give something back to the game with her new role. While speaking exclusively to India TV’s sports editor Samip Rajguru, Rani expressed her desire to help Indian youngsters with her new role as a mentor.  “It’s a new role for me and a challenging one for me as I always wanted to explore new things in my life apart from a player,” Rani Rampal said. “I will give my best in …

‘I hope more franchises join women’s HIL next year,’: Rani Rampal

‘I hope more franchises join women’s HIL next year,’: Rani Rampal

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New Delhi: Women’s Hockey India League is set to make its debut with the auctions underway in the capital city of New Delhi on Tuesday. For the first time in the history of the sport, India has a franchise-based league for women’s hockey as the much talked HIL made return in the seven years. Former Indian captain and one of the best Indian players Rani Rampal is a part of the league but in a different role this time. She has joined the Haryana-based franchise Soorma Hockey Club in the role of mentor and Indian coach. Talking about her decision to join the coaching staff and not play, Rani said, “Hockey is my passion and I always knew that I would explore more apart from playing on the field. When the role of a coach came, I was very excited to play a part in the new league.” “A player is always a player. Yes, I wanted to play but then as I said, I took the new challenge of coaching,” she added further. Rani …

Harmanpreet Singh Becomes Most Expensive Buy On Day 1 Of Hockey India League, Sold To Soorma Club For Rs 78 Lakh

Harmanpreet Singh Becomes Most Expensive Buy On Day 1 Of Hockey India League, Sold To Soorma Club For Rs 78 Lakh

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India captain Harmanpreet Singh became the most expensive player on day one of the Hockey India League auction, with Soorma Hockey Club snapping the star drag-flicker for Rs 78 lakh on Sunday. All eight franchises spent heavily to acquire the services of Indian men’s hockey team core players. Abhishek became the second-most expensive buy, acquired by Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers for Rs 72 lakh, while Hardik Singh went to UP Rudras for Rs 70 lakh. Other notable buys from the first lot included Amit Rohidas, who went to Tamil Nadu Dragons for Rs 48 lakh while Jugraj Singh was also purchased for the same amount by Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers. Hyderbad Toofans roped in Sumit for Rs 46 lakh. In all, 54 players, including 18 overseas players were sold on Sunday. All eight franchises spent a total of Rs 16 crore 88 lakh 50 thousand on Day 1. Germany’s Gonzalo Peillat was the most expensive overseas player as he was bought for Rs 68 lakh by Tamil Nadu Dragons. Netherlands’ Jip Janssen was …