With 293 international caps under her belt, experienced goalkeeper and former India captain Savita Punia has witnessed from close quarters the rise of women's hockey in the country.

Punia has lived the ebbs and flows experienced by the Indian women's hockey team as it touched the peak of popularity after the fourth-place finish in the Tokyo Olympics and experienced the disappointment when the team captained by her failed to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games.
At 34 and having plied her trade in the sport for close to 16 years, Punia is in the twilight of her career, but with constant support from parents and in-laws, she wants to chase more glory and climb atop the peak again.
Punia is in no mood to throw in the towel yet and wants to compete for a medal in the Los Angeles Olympics 2028.
LA 2028 is obviously one of my goals as there is no pressure on me. My parents, and after my marriage, my in-laws, have always supported my decisions. The passion for hockey is still there which is driving me forward. The day I feel I am not enjoying hockey anymore, I will make a decision (about retiring from the game). But for the last 3-4 years, I am enjoying my time in the field.
Punia was the captain of the Indian women's hockey team that failed to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The experienced goalkeeper, who won the Asian Games bronze medal for the first time at Incheon in 2014, also led the country in FIH Women's Pro League 2021-22 and Women's Asia Cup in 2022, where India finished third.
She has won gold medals with the team in the FIH Nations Cup in 2022 in Spain, the Asia Cup at Gifu (Japan) in 2017, and three editions of the Asian Champions Trophy -- 2016 Singapore, 2023 Ranchi and 2024 Rajgir (Bihar). She led the Indian team to a bronze medal finish in the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023.
NEWS
Show more newsBut after India failed to qualify for the Paris Games, the then chief coach Janekke Schopman was booted out and was replaced by Harendra Singh, who has since rejigged the team, appointing young Salima Tete as captain.
But Punia is not bothered by her demotion and has no regrets about her career so far.
I don't have any regrets. My only focus is to play the game to the best of my abilities for the country. When I was made the captain I was happy, when the responsibility was taken away from me I am content.
As a goalkeeper, I have plenty of responsibilities which I am taking head-on. I just want to enjoy the game and contribute to the country.
While she focuses on her personal goals with the national team, Punia feels the first-ever Women's Hockey India League (HIL) will help take the game to a new peak and provide game-time and financial stability to aspiring players.
The 34-year-old, from Jodhkan village of Sirsa district in Haryana, is the co-captain of Soorma Hockey Club along with Tete in the inaugural women's HIL.
Soorma Hockey Club is one of the four franchises that are taking part in the tournament that started in Ranchi on January 12 with the final scheduled on January 26. Odisha Warriors, Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers, and Delhi SG Pipers are the other three teams in the league.
The HIL is going to be a game-changer for women's hockey. We as youngsters never imagined such a league but now youngsters who want to take the game will be motivated more as the league will provide financial stability to players.
The young players don't have to fall back on their parents to buy hockey kits. As you know most of the hockey players don't come from wealthy families. So this league will give them the freedom to fly.
Just not financial stability, the HIL will also provide young players much-needed exposure, where they will get to share the dressing room with the best in the business and pick their brains.
Definitely, the HIL will also help youngsters as well as foreign players to know about each other's culture. Just sharing the dressing room with world champions and Olympic medallists will be a learning experience for young players.


