Rani Rampal wins Sportstar Aces Team Sports Sportswoman of the Decade

In 2020, Rampal became the first woman hockey player and only the third from the sport to receive the Khel Ratna, India’s highest sporting honour.

Rani Rampal received the Arjuna Award in 2016 and was named the 2019 World Games Athlete of the Year.

Rani Rampal, the captain of the Indian women’s hockey team, was named the Sportswoman of the Decade (Team Sports) at the 2021 Sportstar ACES Awards.

“This award is for women’s hockey. I hope this award will encourage more and more girls to take up sports,” said Rani as she thanked Hockey India and the Sports Authority of India for their support and extended her gratitude to her coaches and teammates who have been part of her journey for the past decade.

Just 15 when she was picked for the 2010 World Cup, Rani was the second-highest goal-scorer at the tournament and was named its best young player. Three years later, she led India to its maiden medal – a bronze – at the Junior World Cup.

 

Rani has been the recipient of a host of prestigious awards. She received the Arjuna Award in 2016 and was named the 2019 World Games Athlete of the Year. She was presented with the Padma Shri in 2020, the same year that she became the first woman hockey player and only the third from the sport to receive the Khel Ratna, India’s highest sporting honour.

The 2021 edition of the Sportstar ACES Awards honoured the Giants of the Decade in Indian sport, with the winners being assessing on their performance and consistency from 2011 to 2020. Eleven awards were presented under the popular choice category, which was open to public voting, along with 14 jury awards as well as special recognition awards under two new categories – Sports for Good and Giants off the Field – that recognise the work of organisations and individuals who have used sports for the betterment of society.