Indian hockey player Rani Rampal has become the first woman in the sport to have a stadium named after her in Rae Bareli. The MCF Rae Bareli now bears the name ‘Rani’s Girls Hockey Turf’.
Rani Rampal shared photos of herself on social media, inaugurating the stadium and talking to the players alongside other staff members.
“Words seem too little to express my happiness and gratitude as I share that the MCF Raebareli has renamed the hockey stadium to ‘Rani’s Girls Hockey Turf’ to honour my contribution to hockey,” Rani Rampal wrote on Twitter.
Rani Rampal, who made a comeback to the Indian team earlier this year after a tour of South Africa, expressed her gratitude for this honour while dedicating the renaming of the stadium to the Indian Women’s Hockey Team.
She had last played against Belgium in the FIH Women’s Hockey Pro League 2021-22, where she won her 250th cap for India.
Rani had been dealing with an injury since the Tokyo Olympics and was subsequently left out of the World Cup and Commonwealth Games 2022 squads.