Savita Punia
The India hockey goalkeeper and former captain whose saves took India to its first Olympic semi-final, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.
Savita Punia has guarded India’s goal for more than a decade and led the women’s hockey team as captain. In 2026 she was named for the Padma Shri in the field of sports, from Haryana [1].
The wall
Savita was born on 11 July 1990 [2]. In 2016 her saves in a penalty shootout against Italy helped India’s women qualify for the Rio Olympics, their first Olympics in 36 years [2]. At the Tokyo Olympics her saves helped take the team to its first-ever Olympic semi-final, and the Australian High Commissioner called her “The Great Wall” [2].
With 308 international caps, she is the first Indian woman goalkeeper to reach that number, according to her citation [2].
Captain
As captain from 2021 to 2024, she led India to bronze at the 2022 Asian Games, bronze at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, and gold at the 2022 FIH Nations Cup, which took India into the FIH Pro League [2]. She was named the FIH Goalkeeper of the Year three seasons running, from 2020–21 to 2022–23 [2].
Off the field
As brand ambassador for Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao in Sirsa district, she encourages girls to study and play sport [2]. She received the Arjuna Award in 2018 [2].
Sources
- [1] Padma Awards 2026: list of awardees — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Accessed 11 October 2026.
- [2] Padma Awards 2026 investiture ceremony brochure: citation for Savita Punia — Press Information Bureau, Government of India. Accessed 12 October 2026.
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