Rani hopeful of Indian hockey teams winning Asiad gold

Bhubaneswar, August 18: Woman hockey legend and former India captain Rani Rampal may not have been selected in the Indian team for the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games, but that has not diminished her support and goodwill for the National team.

“Asian Games is very important as teams winning gold medals will directly qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. I am optimistic that both of our men and women teams would secure the Olympic ticket at Hangzhou,” said Rani at the Dr Ashok Pattnaik Memorial Lecture on Asian Games at Kalinga Stadium Tennis Centre in Bhubaneswar today.

Exhorting the budding hockey talents at the 25th Death Anniversary Programme of eminent sports journalist Dr Ashok Pattnaik, Rani, a Padmashree Awardee, emphasized that hardwork is the key to success. “Hardwork and the will to win against all odds have helped me come thus far. Work with dedication and after 10 years you will be where I am today,’’ added Rani, under whose captaincy India won silver medal in the 2018 Asian Games and reached semifinals for the first time at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Currently in Odisha as a mentor and coach of the newly constituted women’s sub-junior core group for a National camp, mercurial striker Rani showerded praise on the Odisha Government for promoting sports, especially hockey. “The Odisha Government, led by sports-loving Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has set an example for other States to follow,’’ said Rani, the chief guest of the programme, which was organized by Odisha Sports Journalists’ Association (OSJA).

Speaking at the Memorial Lecture, State Sports Department Director Siddhartha Das, Odisha Hockey Director David John and Odisha Naval Tata Hockey HPC Project Director Rajiv Seth lauded the role of sports journalists in inspiring athletes and popularizing sports in the country.

While the Sports Director threw light on the sports promotion projects of the State Government, the Hockey Director claimed that thanks to the support of the State Government, 25 percent players from Odisha are getting berths in the core groups of different National hockey teams.

Paying tribute to Dr Ashok Pattnaik, Rani and the other guests unveiled a souvenir on the occasion. The guests were felicitated with mementos. OSJA President Sandeep Mishra and Joint-Secretary Suresh Kumar Swain were also felicitated on the occasion on being nominated/elected as a member of the Golden Jubilee Committee and Executive Committee member respectively of the Sports Journalists’ Federation of India (SJFI).

OSJA Working President K Ravi, EC Member Sambit Mohapatra, Secretary Debi Prasanna Mohanty, Treasurer Debasis Sundaray, members of OSJA and trainees of Bhubaneswar Sports Hostel and Odisha Naval Tata Hockey HPC were present in the programme.