The historic 300th international match for Savita Punia became tearful when she used her moment to discreetly wipe tears before resuming her composure until the national anthem. The major event positioned Savita in full view at center position as the field goalkeeper who normally seeks privacy through position anonymity during her 17-year career. This moment deeply affected her. Her 300th appearance takes great meaning because it makes Savita the second Indian woman after Vandana Katariya accomplished this milestone last year.
For ten years Indian women’s hockey has closely identified with the dependable Savita due to her consistent play at goalkeeper while facing rare national team rest. The captaincy assignment came to her unexpectedly after Tokyo Olympics and she learned to carry the responsibility until she felt comfortable with the new position. Team restructuring and a leadership change occurred after the Paris Olympics qualification campaign ended in disappointment. The professional failure combined with her marriage attempted to force her retirement until the hockey federation together with Harendra Singh intervened to keep her playing.
Her choice to stay involved in hockey activities turned out to be a beneficial decision. The captain role has passed to others but Savita maintains crucial leadership moments through her unclouded field vision along with her accumulated expertise in hockey. She takes a unique position as the oldest player on the team at 34 and uses her experience to guide Bichu Devi who is developing her skills for succession to the starting goalkeeper position. During the Monday celebration Savita showed her enthusiasm to continue helping Indian hockey through an emotional response that reveals her future dedication.
