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).”
Denne historien er fra January 12, 2020-utgaven av THE WEEK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra January 12, 2020-utgaven av THE WEEK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
William Dalrymple goes further back
Indian readers have long known William Dalrymple as the chronicler nonpareil of India in the early years of the British raj. His latest book, The Golden Road, is a striking departure, since it takes him to a period from about the third century BC to the 12th-13th centuries CE.
The bleat from the street
What with all the apps delivering straight to one’s doorstep, the supermarkets, the food halls and even the occasional (super-expensive) pop-up thela (cart) offering the woke from field-to-fork option, the good old veggie-market/mandi has fallen off my regular beat.
Courage and conviction
Justice A.M. Ahmadi's biography by his granddaughter brings out behind-the-scenes tension in the Supreme Court as it dealt with the Babri Masjid demolition case
EPIC ENTERPRISE
Gowri Ramnarayan's translation of Ponniyin Selvan brings a fresh perspective to her grandfather's magnum opus
Upgrade your jeans
If you don’t live in the top four-five northern states of India, winter means little else than a pair of jeans. I live in Mumbai, where only mad people wear jeans throughout the year. High temperatures and extreme levels of humidity ensure we go to work in mulmul salwars, cotton pants, or, if you are lucky like me, wear shorts every day.
Garden by the sea
When Kozhikode beach became a fertile ground for ideas with Manorama Hortus
RECRUITERS SPEAK
Industry requirements and selection criteria of management graduates
MORAL COMPASS
The need to infuse ethics into India's MBA landscape
B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH
INTERVIEW - Prof DEBASHIS CHATTERJEE, director, Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode
COURSE CORRECTION
India's best b-schools are navigating tumultuous times. Hurdles include lower salaries offered to their graduates and students misusing AI
