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Olympics: 'The Great Wall' Savita Punia is 'keeping' India's hopes at Tokyo 2020

WION Web Team
New Delhi, Delhi, India Written By: Prajakta BhawsarUpdated: Aug 02, 2021, 08:17 PM IST
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Photograph:(Twitter)

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The astonishing goalkeeper Savita Punia pulled of dazzling saves from penalty corners just as open play. An aggregate of nine penalty corner saves were made by the Indian goalkeeper. 

Born in Haryana, Indian goalkeeper Savita Punia made her introduction in the international hockey circuit in 2008, during a four-country event of Germany and the Netherlands.

As a little youngster, Savita used to travel 30 km multiple times each week from her town Jodhkan to Sirsa to sharpen her hockey abilities. Maharaja Agrasain school was the lone spot around her town that had hockey training facilities and coaches.

Nobody in her family had taken up any sport as a profession. It was her grandfather who urged her to play the game and not surrender when things got intense.

At the age of 17, Savita made her debut in the international circuit after showing incredible potential in the junior group.

In 2013, she took part in the women's Asia Cup which was one of her best matches. Savita Punia saved two essential goals in the penalty shoot-out, which assisted India with winning a bronze medal. 

Additionally, she was also a part of the bronze medal-winning team at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon.

She was instrumental in assisting the women's team with qualifying for the Rio Olympics after 36 years. She saved a foremost goal against Japan, which assisted them with winning 1-0. 

In the 2018 Asia Cup, Savita showed her abilities once more, as she saved an extraordinary goal against China, which permitted her to win the goalkeeper of the tournament, and a place in the 2018 World Cup in London.

Her exceptional exhibition assisted the women's Indian team with beating Chile in the last match of the Women's Hockey World League Round two. 

She was granted the Baljit Singh Goalkeeper of the Year award at the Hockey India Annual Awards in 2015, for having wonderful exhibitions for India in international commitments which demonstrated her value as the best goalkeeper in the country.

Savita Punia has been significant for the Indian women's hockey team in getting a few wins throughout the long term. 

The quarter-final of Tokyo Olympics was one such day where Indian spectators couldn't contain their bliss as the women's team qualified for the semi-finals for the first time. Regardless of the torrent of attacks by the Australians, the "Indian wall" couldn't be penetrated. 

A tremendous part of this splendor could be credited to the thrilling Savita Punia. The Indian goalkeeper was brilliant today and made things extremely challenging for the mighty Aussies.

Her marvelous saves in the middle of the posts assisted India with keeping the lead all through the game, taking a 1-0 success over Australia. 

The Aussies continued attacking, just to have the entirety of their endeavors denied by Indian women's best goalkeeper, Savita Punia.

The astonishing goalkeeper pulled of dazzling saves from penalty corners just as open play. An aggregate of nine penalty corner saves were made by the Indian goalkeeper. 

She displayed her defense splendidly, and the undaunted backline didn't allow the Aussies to draw things level, subsequently helping India to quite possibly the most noteworthy successes over the years.

author

Prajakta Bhawsar

A person who views sports as a metaphor for life. An ardent cricket admirer who grew up watching a lot of cricket.