From Rio 2016 to Tokyo 2020, we have come a long way: Rani Rampal
The captain of the Indian women’s hockey team, Rani Rampal, feels that her memorable performance at the Tokyo Olympics has taught the players to perform better under extreme pressure. On the ‘Hockey Te Charcha’ podcast, the 27-year-old recalled the team’s achievements last year, including the team’s record for fourth place at the Tokyo Olympics.
Rani said: “The year 2021 turned out to be a good year for us. We could have won a medal at the Tokyo Olympics. We will always regret not being able to do so because we were so close to the title. Hard to accept at first.”
“We were 12th at the Rio 2016 Olympics and this time 4th at the Tokyo Olympics. So it’s a big leap for women’s hockey,” said the captain.
The Indian women’s team had missed the historic bronze medal in Tokyo, but the team posted its best performance at the Olympics. “When we returned from Tokyo, the Indian fans applauded our efforts. We feel that we have done something good, that is why the fans give us so much love and respect. This gave us the confidence to do better in the future.”
Rani recounted how the team gained confidence after a 1-0 win over Australia in the quarter-finals and felt that they could end their campaign on the podium by beating second-place Argentina in the semi-finals.
“I think 100 percent we could have won the semifinal match against Argentina. We took the lead early in the game and put pressure on them. We followed everything the coach told them, but they got a penalty corner,” he said. It cost us dearly to give ourselves the opportunity to do it. “
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“I think it was a great opportunity for all the players on the team to learn and gain experience. This experience will keep the players calm in the knockout games of the big tournaments. We will definitely do better next time,” he said.
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