Biography

Savita Punia is an Indian field hockey player and a goalkeeper who is a member of the Indian national field hockey team.Initially, she received her school education at the Sirsa district of Haryana. During her school days, she was motivated by her grandfather Mahinder Singh to join hockey, and soon, she was enrolled in the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre at Hisar.Sunder Singh Kharab was her mentor in her initial years of learning hockey. In the beginning, she was not much interested in the game. Later, her father bought her a hockey kit worth rupees twenty thousand, which led her to take the sport seriously. In an interview, she stated, My attitude towards the game changed after my dad bought me the kit. My zeal to work hard and get selected for the national team was a way to pay him back for the efforts he has put in for me..She played for a maiden national camp in Lucknow in 2007, and soon, began her coaching under a top goalkeeper. In an interview, she revealed her love for sports and her family situations, From the fifth standard, I used to take care of everything at home after my mother fell ill and was hospitalized. 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..At the age of 17, she was selected for the national team in 2007. In 2008, Punia made her first International debut in a four-nation event in Netherlands and Germany.In 2009, at the Junior Asia Cup, she played as a member of the hockey team. In 2011, she played her first senior-level international match. More than 100 games have been played by Punia on the International level.In 2013, at the Eighth Womens Asia Cup held in Malaysia, she participated in the games and saved two important goals in the penalty shoot-out that led India to win a Bronze medal. In 2014, at Incheon Asian Games, she was part of the Indian hockey team that won a bronze medal.In 2015, at the Hockey India Annual Awards, Punia was presented with the The Baljit Singh Goalkeeper of the Year award along with a cash reward of 1 lakh rupees. She earned this honour for her outstanding on the field performances at her international contributions in hockey sport.In 2016, Punia gave her best performance when in the last one minute of the match, she stood at the penalty corners against Japan that helped India to win by 1-0. This win helped Women Indian hockey team to qualify for the Rio Olympics after 36 years.In 2016, Punia revealed that under the Haryana Governments Medal Lao, Naukri Pao scheme, she was promised a job but did not get the same. In a conversation with a media house, she expressed, I have only been given assurances by the government officers. For the last three years, thats what I have been living on..