Hockey: Journey of Savita Punia, Grandad's inspiration led her to lead the Indian team

At 14, when one of the local coaches told her family about Hockey selections, her grandfather was very excited to hear the news and motivated her to start playing the sport. Savita gives most of the credit for her success today to her grandfather, who always kept hope even when she didn't have hope. She recalls that the first time the news of her playing for India was covered in the newspaper, her grandfather was so excited to know about it that he decided to learn to read at the age of 67 years.

In an interview, when she became the team's vice-captain, she said, "I remember when I had first played for India, dadaji heard that the news was in the newspaper, and at 67 years of age, he decided to learn to read. After a year or so, he learned how to read and then made me sit with him and read the news. It was a really great moment and the biggest inspiration for me."

You may be surprised that Savita didn't even want to play as a child. In 2005, when she was struggling to play the sport and be interested in it, her then coach, Mr Sundar Singh Kharab, told her father that she had a great height and that if she trained as a goalkeeper, there was a high chance that she may be able to play internationally. Savita's dad was happy to know that she had potential and bought her a kit that cost ₹18 000/- when her father's salary was ₹11 000/-. She felt burdened and couldn't believe in herself to ever be able to play for the country. However, soon she realised her potential, and her grandfather always motivated her to achieve more.

In June 2020, Savita Punia was named the vice-captain of the Indian women's hockey team, and soon, in 2022, she was named the captain. In the absence of Rani Rampal, recovering from a hamstring injury, Savita was named the captain of the Women's Hockey Asia Cup 2022 in January 2022. This simple school girl from Haryana didn't know what destiny had in store for her. From never having played any sport till the age of 14 to becoming the captain of the Indian team, Savita has come a long way and has become an inspiration for many women hockey players.