Tokyo 2020: There’s no concern issue on this staff, we are able to beat anybody, says girls’s staff vice-captain Savita Punia

Savita Punia’s towering presence within the objective has performed a pivotal function in India’s landmark victories in recent times. Savita was awarded the ‘goalkeeper of the tournament’ when India gained the 2017 Asia Cup in November. India defeated China 5-4 in an exhilarating penalty shootout to win the event after 13 years.

At Tokyo, if the Indian staff had any probability to complete on the podium, the 30-year-old should be at her best.Savita doesn’t have fond recollections of the Rio Olympics, the place India has certified after a spot of 36 years. India was eradicated on the Group Stage itself with 4 losses and a draw towards Japan.“We didn’t had a good outing at Rio. We lacked the experience to perform on the biggest stage and were also a bit overwhelmed by the occasion,” Savita informed India.Today.The goalkeeper is likely one of the eight gamers who had represented India on the 2016 Olympics. Savita Punia believes that this Indian aspect can beat any staff within the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, ranging from July 23“Rio was past, and our aim is to return with a medal from Tokyo. This team has immense self-belief, and this group can top beat any top team on the given day. We don’t have fear factor anymore,” stated Savita.Covid-19 has not dampened our spiritWhen the entire nation is reeling below a extreme second wave of Covid-19, the Savita herself had contracted the an infection alongside along with her six teammates and two help workers members.“For the past one-and-half years, I was wearing two masks and following all the protocols. Then all of a sudden, I got infected. It was frustrating,” remembers Savita.“For any athlete playing in the Olympics is a big thing. You don’t want to miss any training sessions, because you live for that moment. It was a setback, but it didn’t dampen our spirit.“Since I had a very mild symptoms, I kept myself busy. I utilized it by watching the videos. It helped to understand my game as well as the opponents,” stated Savita.Living her late grandfather’s dream Savita used to journey 30 kilometres from Jodhkan village to Maharaja Agrasain Girls Senior Secondary School in Sirsa city to hone her hockey expertise six occasions every week. The faculty was the one place close to her village the place there have been hockey coaches in addition to infrastructure.She used to take a bus back and forth between her home in Jodhkan and the varsity in Sirsa.Before Savita, nobody among the many Punias had ever taken up any sort of sport as a profession.It all began when Ranjeet Punia, grandfather of Savita, had as soon as been to Delhi to observe a hockey match and appreciated the game immediately. After coming again to Jodhkan, he inspired his granddaughter to play the game.“Initially, Savita used to hate it, not because she didn’t like the game, but because of the amount of the travelling she had to do. The to and fro journey from the academy to our home was quite difficult,” reminisces Mohender Punia, Savita’s father.From mid-fielder to goalkeeper Interestingly, Savita began as a midfielder; however after one yr of becoming a member of the academy, her coach Sundar Singh Kharab beneficial goalkeeping to boost her probabilities of making the Indian staff. Savita’s peak (5’ 8”) was what prompted Kharab to make her a custodian.“Kharab sir told me that Savita can be a good goalkeeper due to her height. He, in fact, guaranteed me that she will be in the Indian team when she was just 12 or 13,” recollects Mohender.Rest, as they are saying, is historical past!In 2007, Savita was picked for her maiden nationwide camp in Lucknow. She obtained her first name as much as the Indian staff in 2008. She, nonetheless, needed to wait until 2011 to play her first match for the nation.