Savita & Co. seek to end Indian women’s long drought for a hockey medal at the Asian Games

Savita Punia leads India's women's hockey team to the Asian Games, aiming to end a long drought of gold medals. The side has had encouraging results in recent years, and will take on South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. Savita urges the team to take each match seriously, and not to put too much pressure on the younger players. The team's goal is to win gold, but they will take it one match at a time.

The Indian women’s hockey team’s first and only gold medal at the Asian Games came in 1982. 

Captain Savita Punia and her teammates will strive to end the long drought at Hangzhou later this month. The side will take heart from some encouraging results in the recent past, having only narrowly missed out on a bronze medal at the Olympics, before going on to win the Women’s FIH Hockey Nations Cup. 

At the Asian Games, India is grouped with South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong. While South Korea offers the toughest challenge, the players will guard against complacency when facing the other sides. 

“In modern hockey, all teams have improved a lot. Every match is important. Yes, history shows that Korea, China, Japan, and India are the best teams in Asia. But we will also play the other teams with full focus,” Savita said at the send-off ceremony hosted by Hockey India here. 

Savita took lessons from Hockey India president and former India men’s international Dilip Tirkey, who had stated earlier in the event that during his playing career, the national side suffered a great deal by taking things lightly against supposedly weaker units. 

“As a senior player, I know that we have also made this mistake in the past. Every single match is important, no matter who you face,” Savita said. 

In the last edition of the continental games, the Indian women’s team was edged out 2-1 by Japan in the final. Savita is desperate to go one better this time, but not at the cost of putting the younger players under pressure.