Fast forward

Two years after she made her India debut at the age of 14,Rani Rampal has become the brightest young star on womens hockeys horizon.

Just off the Delhi-Chandigarh national highway,195 kilometres from the capital,it is easy to find Rani Rampals home in in Shahbad. A small town in district Kurukshetra,Shahbad is a nursery of womens hockey and Rani is a household name here. They refer to her as the girl who plays hockey. Rani is richly talented in the sport. But when she first fell in love with hockey,her family couldnt even afford to buy her a hockey stick.

Today she shows off a pink pair of branded shoes,one which Argentine hockey captain Luciana Aymar wears. Her hockey stick is also pink,her favourite colour. Aymar is a big star. These shoes are not easily available but I managed to get my hands on them before anyone else in the squad, Rani said gleefully. Seven years back,it was because Rani was the youngest in the family and pampered that she was allowed to take up hockey even though the family struggled to make both ends meet.

Her father is a daily wage cart-puller,her elder brother is a shop assistant and her young brother is a carpenter. Rani used to cry and pester her mother and brothers to allow her to play hockey. Finally her elder brothers relented. They told her to go and play with a clear mind and not worry about anything else.

When Rani started off under Baldev Singh of the Shahbad Hockey Academy,she had the likes of Surinder Kaur and Jasjeet Kaur both seniors at the academy and from the same village to inspire her.

At 16,Rani has made a name for herself. She was named the best young player at the World Cup in Rosario last month. She had won a similar award at the Champions Challenge in Kazan,Russia last year. She was also part of the team which won the silver at the Asia Cup in 2009,a feat that allowed India to qualify for the World Cup.

When I started off,the hockey stick was bigger than me. Today,I can proudly say that I have scored more goals that my idol Aymar at the World Cup. It was awesome to play in the same tournament and see Aymar in action. But may be I could have done better and India would have finished higher that ninth.

Rigorous training

Rani was back in Shahbad to give her Class XII examinations that were eventually postponed. For her training at the academy in Shahbad under Baldev Singh is tougher than the schedule at the national camp.

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When we train with the national team we at least get a day off. Back home here at the academy there are no off days.

The time to head for training is up on Rani and for the life of her she wouldnt want to be late. I have to go. Warna sir se joote padenge.

Rani still lives in a modest house in the midst of a labyrinth of lanes. The pride of place in the house belongs to a shelf that houses Ranis medals,her certificates and the trophies she has won. It tells the story of the rise of another hockey star from his nursery.