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Hometown: Sirsa, Haryana
Age: 32 Years
Height: 5′ 7″
Some Lesser Known Facts About Savita Punia
- Savita Punia is an Indian discipline hockey participant and a goalkeeper who’s a member of the Indian nationwide discipline hockey staff.
- Initially, she acquired her faculty schooling on the Sirsa district of Haryana. During her faculty days, she was motivated by her grandfather Mahinder Singh to affix hockey, and shortly, she was enrolled within the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre at Hisar.
- Sunder Singh Kharab was her mentor in her preliminary years of studying hockey. In the start, she was not a lot within the recreation. Later, her father purchased her a hockey package price rupees twenty thousand, which led her to take the game critically. In an interview, she said,
My perspective in direction of the sport modified after my dad purchased me the package. My zeal to work onerous and get chosen for the nationwide staff was a method to pay him again for the efforts he has put in for me.”
- She performed for a maiden nationwide camp in Lucknow in 2007, and shortly, started her teaching underneath a high goalkeeper. In an interview, she revealed her love for sports activities and her family conditions,
From the fifth normal, I used to handle all the pieces at residence after my mom fell unwell and was hospitalized. But my grandfather was adamant about me leaving the home to attain one thing extra and so have been the remainder of the individuals at residence who have been very open-minded and wished me to attain one thing.”
- At the age of 17, she was chosen for the nationwide staff in 2007. In 2008, Punia made her first International debut in a four-nation occasion in Netherlands and Germany.
- In 2009, on the Junior Asia Cup, she performed as a member of the hockey staff. In 2011, she performed her first senior-level worldwide match. More than 100 video games have been performed by Punia on the International degree.
- In 2013, on the Eighth Women’s Asia Cup held in Malaysia, she participated within the video games and saved two essential targets within the penalty shoot-out that led India to win a Bronze medal. In 2014, at Incheon Asian Games, she was a part of the Indian hockey staff that received a bronze medal.
- In 2015, on the Hockey India Annual Awards, Punia was introduced with the ‘The Baljit Singh Goalkeeper of the Year’ award together with a money reward of 1 lakh rupees. She earned this honour for her excellent on the sector performances at her worldwide contributions in hockey sport.
- In 2016, Punia gave her greatest efficiency when within the final one minute of the match, she stood on the penalty corners in opposition to Japan that helped India to win by 1-0. This win helped Women Indian hockey staff to qualify for the Rio Olympics after 36 years.
- In 2016, Punia revealed that underneath the Haryana Government’s Medal Lao, Naukri Pao scheme, she was promised a job however didn’t get the identical. In a dialog with a media home, she expressed,
I’ve solely been given assurances by the federal government officers. For the final three years, that’s what I’ve been dwelling on.”
- In 2017, her efficient efficiency on the Hawke’s Bay Cup in New Zealand led the Indian hockey staff to complete the sixth within the match. In the identical yr, on the Women’s Hockey World League, her extraordinary efficiency led the Indian ladies’s hockey staff to beat Chile in Round 2 of the ultimate match.
- In 2018, within the Asia Cup, she made an excellent save in opposition to China within the ultimate match. In this match, she was introduced with the goalkeeper of the match award. This win helped the Indian hockey staff to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in London.
- Punia acquired the Arjuna Award in 2018.
- She was requested her sporting function mannequin in her biography, she mentioned,
My grandfather, it is just due to him that I’m right here. He at all times supported me a lot. He was at all times very encouraging and I feel I’m the place I’m right now due to his encouragement and blessings. I bear in mind after I had first performed for India, dadaji heard that the information was within the newspaper, and at 67 years of age, he determined to study to learn. After a yr or so, he realized studying after which made me sit with him and skim the information out loud. It was a extremely nice second, and the largest inspiration for me.”
- Initially, Savita began practising as a midfielder within the hockey staff. After one yr of becoming a member of the academy, her coach Sundar Singh Kharab suggested her to go for goalkeeping. This was to extend her probabilities for the choice within the Indian staff, and it was her 5’7″ peak that prompted him to determine for goalkeeping. Her grandfather advised in an interview,
Kharab sir advised me that Savita could be a good goalkeeper as a consequence of her peak. He, in truth, assured me that she can be within the Indian staff when she was simply 12 or 13.”
- According to Savita, initially, she was terrified of hockey balls. In an interview, she spelt out,
I studied in a hostel after Std VI. The hostel was two hours away from residence. To escape hockey coaching, I’d provide you with a number of excuses. I used to be made a goalkeeper due to my peak. I used to be very terrified of the ball.”
- In a dialog with a media home, Punia revealed that her first expertise of representing India. She expressed,
I bear in mind the primary time I stepped on to the sector and sang the nationwide anthem – I had goosebumps and determined that I wished to do it wholeheartedly. It was a life-changing second for me. Even although I used to be the second-choice goalkeeper then, after Dipika Murthy, it was an important expertise.”
- According to Punia, the respect her family gained from hockey was her favorite factor in regards to the recreation. In an interview, she mentioned,
My family has acquired nice respect via hockey – and that’s my favorite half. When I had began taking part in, nobody used to actually play any sport in my village. Now, due to my performances and since individuals have gotten to find out about me.”
- Savita is a health fanatic. She recurrently does high-intensity exercises. In an interview, she said,
Our day, sometimes begins with particular person high-intensity exercises or body-weight coaching, after which we proceed to do some evaluation which our teaching workers provides us individually.”
- A video interview with Savita Punia.
- In 2021, on choice of the Indian ladies hockey staff on the Tokyo Olympics 2020, Punia revealed her targets in an interview,
Rio was previous, and our goal is to return with a medal from Tokyo. This staff has immense self-belief, and this group can high beat any high staff on the given day. We don’t have concern issue anymore.”