Rani Rampal named coach of sub-junior team, but says she isn't retiring

Former India captain Rani Rampal lambasted women's hockey team head coach Janneke Schopmann for not selecting her for the past two years. 

Rani categorically said she has no plan to retire from hockey despite being named coach of the Indian U-17 girls' team. 

"Whatever happened to me in the past two years is not right. As far as my career is concerned, despite coming back from injury, faring well and even playing during the National Games, I was not selected for the senior side," Rani, who led India to a 4th-place finish in Tokyo Olympics, told reporters in the presence of Hockey India chief Dilip Tirkey.

 

"Only the coach will be able to explain the reason," an angry Rani said after being named the Indian U-17 girls' team coach.

"But that incident has not forced me to plan for retirement yet. I know I still have more to give to the sport as a player. I never want to give up. If I had to, I'd have given up after the Olympics," she added.

Following the fourth-place finish in Tokyo, Rani was out of action for a few months due to surgery but, even after smashing a whopping 18 goals in just six matches at the 2022 National Games in Gujarat, she has found it difficult to get her place back in the national team.

"I will continue playing hockey since I believe I still have my playing career left," 28-year-old Rani said.

It remains to be seen whether she will find a place in India's squad for the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.

Meanwhile, Tirkey empathised with Rani but said as office-bearers of the federation, they don't interfere in selection matters.

"We understand the grief of Rani Rampal. We have talked about her absence from the national team. We have consulted both selectors and the head coach. We had conversations with Rani also," Tirkey said.

"We don't interfere in these matters; it is up to the coach and selectors," the HI chief added.

(With PTI inputs)