Rajani Etimarpu

Rajani Etimarpu

Personal information
Born	(1990-06-09) 9 June 1990 (age 35) Tirupathi, Andhra Pradesh, India
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight	60 kg (132 lb)
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Club information
Current club	Railways
Senior career
Years	Team
2011–	Railways
National team
Years	Team	Caps	Goals
2009–	India	110	(0)
Medal record Women's field hockey Representing   India Asian Games 2018 Jakarta Team Commonwealth Games 2022 Birmingham Team Asia Cup 2017 Gifu 2013 Kuala Lumpur 2022 Muscat Asian Champions Trophy 2016 Singapore 2013 Kakamigahara 2010 Busan Hockey5s World Cup 2024 Oman

Rajani Etimarpu (born 9 June 1990) ^[1] is an Indian field hockey player who represents the India women's national field hockey team. She hails from Andhra Pradesh and plays as a goalkeeper. She represents Railway Sports Promotion Board in the domestic tournaments.

Early life and education

Rajani hails from Enumulavaripalli village, Yerravaripalem mandal. Tirupati District, Andhra Pradesh. ^[2] She did her schooling at Zilla Parishad High School in Nerabailu village. Initially, her parents were not interested in sending her to play hockey, but the Physical Education Teacher (PET) at her school convinced them. She began her journey in 2005 at the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) hostel in Tirupati. she learned the foundational skills of field hockey under the guidance of coaches at the center later moved to SAI hostel in Hyderabad. ^[3] In 2007, she represented Andhra Pradesh in the Junior National Championship where AP reached quarterfinals. Her strong performance in the tournament helped her get a call to the National camp in 2008. ^[4] Prasanna Kumar of Tirupati was the first to spot her and encouraged her to take up goalkeeping because of her height advantage.

Hockey career

Although Rajani participated in the junior national camp on three occasions and trained diligently, she was not selected to represent the team, which left her discouraged. While in Hyderabad for her examinations, she received information regarding open trials for the Senior India camp in Bengaluru. Motivated to pursue the opportunity, she attended the trials and secured selection for the camp, ultimately earning a place in the Indian national squad. She made her international debut in 2009 at a tournament held in New Zealand, competing against the host team. ^[5] Rajani is one of the few Indian players who was part of the Indian team at the Olympics, World Cup, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. She took part in the Rio Olympics in 2016 where the team finished 12th. She was part of the Indian team at the XXI Commonwealth Games 2018 at Gold Coast, Australia. She was also part of the Indian team in two World Cups. They are the Vitality Hockey Women's World Cup 2018, London, and BDO FIH World Cup 2010, Rosario, Argentina. The highlight of her career is a silver medal at the 18th Asian Games 2018 in Jakarta, Indonesia. ^[6] Earlier, she also played at the 2014–15 Women's FIH Hockey World League and the Hawke's Bay Cup 2015 held in New Zealand. ^{[7] [8]} At the 2013 Women’s Asian Champions Trophy, Rajani Etimarpu showcased outstanding goalkeeping skills, earning the Best Goalkeeper award and helping India claim the silver medal. The team was additionally honored with the Fair Play Award. ^{[9] [10] [11]}

Rajani Leads Indian Women’s Hockey 5s Team to Silver at FIH World Cup 2024

Rajani was named the captain of the Indian women’s hockey team for the inaugural FIH Women’s Hockey 5s tournament, held in Lausanne, Switzerland, from June 4 to 5. Under her leadership, the team showcased exceptional skill and teamwork.

Following this, she captained the Indian side at the FIH Women’s Hockey 5s World Cup 2024 in Oman, guiding the team to an impressive silver medal finish. Rajani’s leadership and the team’s performance have been widely praised, marking a significant milestone in Indian women’s hockey history. ^{[12] [13] [14] [15]} The player has 110 international caps to her credit. ^[16]

Inaddition to Sports

• Advisory Role: In 2021, she was appointed as a sports adviser for the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). ^{[17] [18] [19]}
• Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP): She first served as a SAAP board director from 2018 to 2020. She has once again been appointed by the Government of Andhra Pradesh in 2025 as part of the state's initiative to develop sports in Andhra Pradesh. This latest appointment officially acknowledges her ongoing dedication to sports administration and aligns with the government's objective to develop "Kreeda Andhra Pradesh" (Sports Andhra Pradesh). ^{[20] [21] [22] [23]}
• Education Board: She also holds a position as a board member of Sri Padmavathi Mahila Viswa Vidyalayam.
• Brnad ambassador: She is the brand ambassador of Tirupati smart city project and Swachh Survekshan programme. ^[24]

References

1. "RAJANI ETIMARPU -". 28 August 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
2. Adivi, Sashidhar (22 October 2017). "The keeper of India's goals". Deccan Chronicle . Retrieved 21 February 2024.
3. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/visakhapatnam/andhra-pradesh-goalie-etimarpu-rajani-makes-village-bask-in-olympics-glory/articleshow/84665082.cms
4. Writer, SportzCraazy (26 July 2022). "Rajani Etimarpu Biography: Achievements, Personal Life, Family, Unknown Facts & Social Media -". Sportzcraazy. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
5. https://www.sportzcraazy.com/rajani-etimarpu-biography-achievements-personal-life-family-unknown-facts-social-media/#goog_rewarded
6. "Rajani Etimarpu Profile". Hockey India. Archived from the original on 27 March 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
7. IANS (5 April 2015). "Indian women's hockey team working on bench strength". sportskeeda.com.
8. "Rajani Etimarpu". Stick2Hockey. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
9. https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/rajni-wins-best-goalie-award-113110900534_1.html
10. https://www.hockeyindia.org/news/india-wins-silver-medal-at-the-3rd-womens-asian-champions-trophy-2013#:~:text=India%20wins%20Silver%20Medal%20at,played%20at%20Kakamigahara%20inJapan%20today.
11. https://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/2013/Nov/09/indian-women-settle-for-silver-in-asian-hockey-535591.html
12. https://www.hockeyindia.org/news/indian-womens-hockey5s-squad-leaves-for-fih-hockey5s-womens-world-cup-oman-2024
13. https://www.hockeyindia.org/news/indian-womens-hockey-team-falls-short-in-fih-hockey5s-world-cup-2024-final-loses-2-7-to-the-netherlands
14. PTI (20 May 2022). "Rajani Etimarpu to lead India in inaugural FIH Women's Hockey 5s". sportstar.thehindu.com. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
15. Scroll Staff (31 December 2023). "Hockey, 5s World Cup: Rajni Etimarpu, Simranjeet Singh to lead Indian men's and women's teams". Scroll.in. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
16. "Hockey India – Rajani Etimarpu". hockeyindia.org. Archived from the original on 28 August 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
17. https://news.tirumala.org/%E0%B0%B5%E0%B0%BF%E0%B0%9C%E0%B0%AF%E0%B0%82-%E0%B0%B8%E0%B0%BE%E0%B0%A7%E0%B0%BF%E0%B0%82%E0%B0%9A%E0%B1%87%E0%B0%A6%E0%B0%BE%E0%B0%95%E0%B0%BE-%E0%B0%B5%E0%B0%BF%E0%B0%B6%E0%B1%8D%E0%B0%B0%E0%B0%AE/
18. https://news.tirumala.org/introduce-telemedicine-services-in-nephrology-ttd-eo/
19. https://news.tirumala.org/sv-high-school-to-get-face-lift-jeohe-_-%e0%b0%8e%e0%b0%b8%e0%b1%8d%e0%b0%b5%e0%b1%80-%e0%b0%b9%e0%b1%88%e0%b0%b8%e0%b1%8d%e0%b0%95%e0%b1%82%e0%b0%b2%e0%b1%81-%e0%b0%97%e0%b1%8d%e0%b0%b0%e0%b1%8c/
20. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/new-sports-authority-governing-council-takes-charge/article23829377.ece
21. https://www.deccanchronicle.com/southern-states/andhra-pradesh/amaravati-championships-in-10-disciplines-start-in-tirupati-1899453
22. https://www.thehansindia.com/news/cities/tirupathi/tirupati-to-become-sports-hub-with-the-allotment-of-30-acres-1000250
23. https://www.thehansindia.com/andhra-pradesh/collector-stresses-need-for-parents-to-encourage-kids-in-sports-998608
24. https://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Andhra-Pradesh/2018-09-07/Rajini-sets-eyes-on-gold-medal-in-2020-Olympics/410578

External links

• Rajani Etimarpu at Olympedia
• Rajani Etimarpu at the Commonwealth Games Federation (archived)
• Rajani Etimarpu Archived 27 March 2022 at the Wayback Machine at Hockey India