SAVITA Punia has seen a lot. Her debut predates the birth of Hockey India (HI), the federation responsible for governing the sport in India. While HI was born in 2009, Punia made her India bow as a teen at a tournament in South Africa in 2008.
And what a career it has been. When she wore her India jersey for the first time, it was, in essence, the realisation of a dream. She wanted to play for the country once. She would have happily walked away from the sport then and there.
Now, almost two decades later, the association between the sport and the woman from Hisar, Haryana, refuses to die. At the World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands, Punia can become the most capped Indian women's hockey player of all time.
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Goalkeepers are strange beasts in every sport. The profession demands a certain inner belief and the capacity to forget the constant white noise from outside. It's why Punia doesn't log on to social media.
"I make it a point to not be on social media," she tells The New Indian Express less than a week out from their opener against China. "So, I don't know what the external noise is. My family is very supportive of me in this. It is important to keep your mental health in good shape."
It's why the custodian would have missed a HI post on X about how the Indian team has the most players to have played over 200 games (five, with Punia leading the way with 313) at this World Cup. If they advance to the semis, Punia can equal the current record of 320 (Vandana Katariya).
Has she thought about it? "No, no," she responds, almost being offended by the question. "Never. The one thing I follow in life is to be sincere in whatever I do and work hard at that. It is never like I wanted to play till this time or play these many matches. Playing over 300 games for India is a blessing, but as we spoke at the beginning, there have been a lot of ups and downs. What happens personally impacts you a lot."
It's why Punia has come to regard that space between the sticks as her happy place. "As soon as I wear my helmet and go out, all my personal problems are solved. Bottom line is I love hockey a lot. Honestly, I don't even realise that I'm getting old. The good thing is our staff is excellent. The coach, the analyst, the scientific advisor and the athletic performance head. This is good for the kids coming in. They can set high goals. When I came in (for the first time), I never had this exposure and never had such high goals for the team. But the girls coming in now, like you mentioned, have players like Vandana to look up to, who have played the maximum games, representing India in 300+ games. But to reach there, you need dedication and discipline."
But the former skipper is happy to play the matriarch, especially to the younger goalkeepers. "At the 2016 Olympics, I got some stick," she says. "'Our GK did not do well'. So being mentally tough is the most important for a GK. I tell my junior goalkeepers in the team that you can make an important save, but it is important to remain humble after that. Because if you immediately concede a goal, you only get criticised." By its very nature, the goalkeeper stands out, for better or worse. "If you brood on your first mistake when the match is on, you will make four more mistakes."
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There was a time in the recent past when Punia wanted to retire. "Over the past 3-4 years, I have had a lot of ups and downs," she says. "I have thought that I should stop. But I had well-wishers who advised me that this wasn't the right time. In 2025, I also had ankle surgery. If my rehab wasn't perfect, maybe I wouldn't be here talking to you before the World Cup."
At the World Cup, the women's team faces a big task to get out of the group stages unscathed. Both China and England are superior teams, both in terms of ranking and recent performances. While China (World No 4) and England (World No 7) are staples in the Pro League, India (World No 9) played in the Nations Cup this season (they topped it and won promotion).
Therein lies the optimism. Coach Sjoerd Marijne, whose body of work includes a fourth-place finish at the Olympics in 2021, may have been in situ for less than a year, but he has put in place the necessary building blocks. They aren't favourites, but there are reasons for cautious optimism. "We are taking with us a winning mentality," the 36-year-old said.
They will need to marry that desire with on-field execution if they want to punch above their weight over the next few weeks.
