Who is Savita Punia? Five things to know about India’s unflappable hockey goalkeeper

Before the start of Tokyo 2020, Savita Punia had said that the Indian women’s team fielding eight players who had been part of Rio 2016 would help. Her experience proved invaluable on Monday as India defeated Australia 1-0 in women’s hockey to reach the Olympics semifinal for the very first time.

Dressed in heavy gear, Punia stood cool and composed in goal as Australia kept pressing. The Australian team earned nine penalty corners and had 17 circle penetrations, but they couldn’t get past the Indian defence, anchored by Punia, even once.

The 31-year-old proved impossible to get past and was one of the keys to India reaching the historic semis. Here are five things to know about India’s unflappable goalkeeper:

First inspiration

It was Punia’s grandfather, Mahinder Singh, who asked Punia to pursue hockey, which was one of the sport offered at her district school. He had been to New Delhi to watch a hockey match and liked the sport. According to Punia, if it wasn’t for her grandfather, she would have taken up judo or badminton.

In 2001, her mother was diagnosed with early arthritis which meant that Punia had to do a lot of the household chores.

“From the fifth standard, I used to take care of everything at home after my mother fell ill and was hospitalized,” Punia had told Olympics.com

“But my grandfather was adamant about me leaving the house to achieve something more and so were the rest of the people at home who were very open-minded and wanted me to achieve something.”

Disliked hockey

A lot of Indian female athletes had to resist family pressure to stay in their chosen sport. But it was the other way round for Punia.

It was her family who pushed her into hockey. Punia, who hails from Jodhkan village in Sirsa, Haryana, was joined the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Hisar to pursue hockey. She had to travel almost two hours in Haryana’s crowded, rattling district buses, with 20kg worth of goalkeeping gear, from her home to the hostel.

“I used to tell my father that I don’t want to play. But he had bought me the goalkeeper’s kit even when he couldn’t really afford it. So I felt like I had to repay my family’s faith,” he had told Livemint. “Even on television, I would never let my family put on the sports channel. I didn’t enjoy it much in the beginning and used to make excuses to get out of sessions.”

Four-year wait

During her time at the sports hostel, Punia was handed over goalkeeping duties, mainly because she was the tallest in her group.

Despite making it to the Indian senior national camp in 2007, Punia had to wait on the sidelines for her chance for almost four years. She made her international debut in 2011.

International success

Punia has been integral to India’s success on the hockey field for the past few years. Ever since her breakthrough in 2013, when she was part of the bronze-winning Indian team at the Asia Cup she has made her presence felt.

She came up with some top-notch performances at the 2015 FIH Hockey World League in Belgium, where India sealed qualification for Rio 2016. It was the first time in 36 years that they had made it to the Olympics.

Since then, Punia has helped India win the 2016 Asian Champions Trophy, 2017 Asia Cup, a silver medal at the 2018 Asian Games and a quarterfinal finish at the 2018 World Cup.

Lessons from Rio

Punia was determined to put the 'nightmare' of Rio behind after India qualified for Tokyo 2020.

“I think our team was really raw at that point of time, and we did make a few mistakes," Punia had said. “When I say my best is yet to come, it is because my goal is to perform exceptionally for my team at the Tokyo Olympics, and make sure that I can put the nightmare of Rio [Olympics] behind me."

India's last line of defence stood strong and followed through on that promise in Tokyo.