Savita Punia (born 11 July 1990) is an Indian field hockey player and the long-serving goalkeeper of the national women’s team. Her saves in penalty shoot-outs won India the Asia Cup in 2017, and at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 she kept out nine Australian penalty corners in the quarter-final as India reached the semi-finals for the first time. Nicknamed the “Great Wall of India”, she captained the team from 2021 to 2024 and has played more than 300 internationals.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Savita Punia |
| Born | 11 July 1990, Jodhkan, Sirsa district, Haryana, India |
| Age | 36 |
| Sport | Field hockey |
| Position | Goalkeeper |
| International debut | 2008 |
| Spouse | Ankit Balhara (m. 2023) |
| Honour | Arjuna Award (2018) |
| Known as | Great Wall of India |
Early Life
Savita grew up in Jodhkan village. It was her grandfather, Mahinder Singh, who pushed her towards hockey. She joined the Sports Authority of India centre in Hisar, travelling there by bus with a heavy goalkeeping kit that conductors often refused to let on board. Her father, a pharmacist, spent a large part of his savings on a kit, which she says made her take the sport seriously.
Career
She joined the national camp in 2007 and made her debut in 2008, though it was several years before she became the first-choice goalkeeper. She helped India win bronze at the 2014 Asian Games and qualify for the Rio Olympics in 2016, India’s first women’s hockey appearance at the Games in 36 years.
In the final against China in Kakamigahara, Japan, she made the decisive save in the shoot-out, giving India the title and a place at the 2018 World Cup. She was named goalkeeper of the tournament.
On 2 August 2021 India beat three-time champions Australia 1–0 in the quarter-final, with Punia saving every penalty corner. India lost the semi-final to Argentina and the bronze-medal match to Great Britain 4–3, finishing fourth, their best Olympic result.
She took over the captaincy after Tokyo. Under her India won bronze at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, where she saved three attempts in the shoot-out against New Zealand, won the Nations Cup in 2022 and the Asian Champions Trophy in 2023. India failed to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. She played her 300th international in 2025.
Personal Life
Savita married Ankit Balhara, who lives in Canada, in 2023. She holds a job with the Haryana government.
Awards and Honours
Major Medals
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Savita Punia born?
Savita Punia was born on 11 July 1990 in Jodhkan, Sirsa district, Haryana, India and is 36 years old.
Featured image: Savita Punia receives the Arjuna Award from President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, 25 September 2018. Photo by President’s Secretariat, licensed under Government Open Data License – India, via Wikimedia Commons.
