Former India women's hockey team captain Rani Rampal has furiously hit back at chief coach Janneke Schopman regarding her sudden ouster from the team and also quashed her retirement rumours floating in the air as she took over a new responsibility on Thursday, August 10.
Hockey India (HI) assigned a new set of responsibilities to former India captains Sardar Singh (former men's captain) and Rani as they were named coaches of the soon-to-be-formed U17 teams - a sub-junior team in a brand new age category.
Rani last played for the Women in Blue at the Tokyo Olympics and helped the side finish fourth. However, plagued with injuries, the 28-year-old was forced to sit on the sidelines after the event. Since then Rani is yet to find a place in the current set-up under the supervision of head coach Schopman.
She failed to find a place in the Indian team's preparatory camp which took place in Bengaluru in the months of April and May leading into the tour of Australia and was not part of the squad that travelled down under either. Rani mentioned that while the reason behind her snub is yet to be communicated to her, her career is far from over.
"Whatever happened to me wasn’t right in the last two years. I came back from an injury, was the top scorer at the National Games but wasn’t picked. The best person who can answer this is the chief coach or the selectors because I don’t know the answer," said Rani in a press conference.
"I am not retiring since I know I still have more to give to the sport as a player. I have this thing in me to not give up. If I had to, I’d have given up after the Olympics," she added.
The incumbent Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey, who was also present at the press conference said that the president and the secretary "do not interfere" in selection calls and mentioned that such calls are entirely taken by the selectors and the coach.
"We can understand Rani isn’t in the team and we have asked the coach and selectors why such a player isn’t included. When a team is selected, the president and secretary don’t interfere. It’s the responsibility of the selectors and coach," said Tirkey.
