India women’s hockey team captain Rani Rampal is all set to create history yet again as the team takes on mighty Argentina in a bid to reach the final at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. If it happens, it will be the first time that Indian women reach the Olympic hockey final.

This is Rampal’s second Olympics. She had led the Indian hockey team in the 2016 Rio Olympics, as well, where they qualified for the first time after 36 years.

The forward from Haryana has been an integral part of the team and always scores goals when her team requires her the most. She is also one of the most seasoned campaigners on the Indian side, having over 22 caps for the national side. Her leadership in the Tokyo edition will be key as the Indian team includes 8 debutants.

According to the official website of the Olympics, Rani’s father worked as a cart-puller in Shahabad Markanda, Haryana. Her father would only earn Rs 4 or 5 by selling bricks in a horse cart. However, Rani’s meteoric rise in hockey saw her father finally selling brick in 2015. While the cart still remains parked outside their home, one of her brothers works as a carpenter while the other works as a mechanic.

Rani’s hometown, in the past, has produced other hockey players such as Ritu Rani, Sandeep Singh, Suma Bala, Sandeep Kaur, Rajni Bala and Surinder Kaur.

The Indian forward developed a love for the game when she was seven-yeard-old. However, she was hesitant about the sport and idea as neighbours and relatives were against the choice.

“Initially, my parents didn’t agree to the idea of me playing hockey. Our neighbours and relatives told my parents that I would bring a bad name to the family because I would be wearing a skirt or shorts,” the Times of India quoted Rani as saying.

“It was very difficult to make them understand. But I kept on pestering and cried a lot and emotionally blackmailed them after which they relented and allowed me to play hockey,” she added.

Even though she took up the sport, training did not come easy to her due to financial constraints. However, she was supported by her mentor and first coach, Baldev Singh, bought her kits, jerseys and even helped with her dietary requirements. Baldev was the former coach of Shahabad Hockey Academy (SHA).

She also was adjudged the first-ever hockey player to win the World Games Athlete of the Year award. She won the title after being named the Player of the Tournament in the FIH Series Finals and helping her side qualify for Tokyo 2020.

“With an impressive number of votes, 199,477, Rani is the clear winner of the Athlete of the Year race, where sports fans all over the world have voted for their favourite during 20 days of polling in January. All in all, over 705,610 votes were cast during the poll,” the World Games said in a statement.

In an earlier interview, Rampal had said that she draws her inspiration from six-time World Champions MC Mary Kom of India. “I follow Mary Kom very closely, because she is an icon, a six-time world champion, a mother of three, and yet she has the same hunger to learn,” Rani had told femina.in.

Other than hockey, she is an avid follower of Punjabi music. She also enjoys Bollywood classics after sessions or tours.

“I don’t get much free time, but I love listening to music. I enjoy Punjabi music, and old Bollywood melodies, also music from the ’80s and ’90s. Other than that, I like to spend time with my family whenever I have the time to be with them,” she said.