File photo of Rani Rampal© Facebook
Former Indian women's hockey team captain Rani Rampal announced her retirement on Thursday, ending a glittering 16-year career during which she became an inspiration for her phenomenal rise from a small town in Haryana where her father worked as a cart-puller.
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.
"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 in a press conference.
A clinical forward, who made her international debut in 2008 as a 14-year-old in the Olympic qualifiers that year, Rani scored 205 goals in her 254 outings for India.
She was honoured with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2020 and was also a recipient of the Padma Shri, the country's fourth highest civilian award, in the same year.
She was recently roped in as the national coach for sub-junior women players.