Savita Punia (Born on 11 July 1990 in Jodhkan, Sirsa District, Haryana) is an Indian field hockey player and is a member of the India national field hockey team. Savita Punia is also known as "Great Wall of India" because of her phenomenal and outstanding performance in 2020 Summer Olympics. Savita Punia saving 12 goals during hockey match against Great Britain in 2020 Summer Olympics. Indian Female hockey team missed the bronze medal in Tokyo Olympic 2020 by just a margin.
Savita plays as the goalkeeper. Savita was encouraged by her grandfather Mahinder Singh to take up hockey and joined the Sports Authority of India (SAI) center at Hisar. Savita was initially not too interested in the game, but later, when her father spent Twenty Thousand Rupees on her kit, she started to see the game in a new light and got serious about it. Savita Punia qualified for the national team in 2007 when she was barely 17. In 2009, Savita participated as a member of the team in the Junior Asia Cup.
Savita Punia had to wait for her chance for almost four years. Savita Punia made her senior international debut in the year 2011. Savita joined as a member of the team in the Junior Asia Cup. In 2013, Savita participated in the Eighth Women's Asia Cup held in Malaysia in which she saved two crucial potential goals in the penalty shoot-out and paved the way for India to win a Bronze medal. Savita Punia was a part of the bronze-winning team at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games.
In 2015, Savita Punia was awarded the "Baljit Singh Goalkeeper of the Year award" at the Hockey India Annual Awards, for having remarkable performances for India in international contributions which proved her worth as the best goalkeeper in the country. She also received a cash reward of 1 lakh rupees for her contribution to the sports.
In 2015 FIH Hockey World League held in Belgium, Savita displayed excellent performance in match against Japan, when she withstood a barrage of penalty corners, in the last 1 minute to help India hold on to its 1–0 lead. Savita helped the team qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics after 36 years. In 2017 Asia Cup, Indian won the tournament and thus secured a place for 2017 World Cup. In this tournament Punia was the center of attention.
In the Asia Cup of 2018, Savita Punia made an astonishing save against China in the final, earning herself the goalkeeper of the tournament award and for her team, a slot in the 2018 World Cup in London. Savita Punia has received the Arjuna Award in 2018 for outstanding contributions to Sports.
Savita Punia had proved she is among the Best goalkeepers of the world by her best performance in Tokyo Olympic 2020. Savita Punia is one of the most consistent players of the Indian Women Hockey team.
