On October 6, 2023, the Indian women’s hockey team endured an agonising morning in Hangzhou. The previous day, the Savita Punia-led side had lost 4-0 to China in the semifinal of the Asian Games. The defeat crushed the team’s dream of winning gold and securing qualification for the 2024 Olympics. Goalkeeper Savita then rallied her troops to focus on the next step – the bronze medal playoff. Regrouped and determined, India held off Japan 2-1 to finish on the podium.
“As captain, the energy of the team starts with me. I can’t have a long face if we have a big game ahead. So at breakfast the day of the Japan game, I wished all players ‘good morning’ with a smile,” the 33-year-old tells Moneycontrol from the SAI Centre in Bengaluru. Edited excerpts from an interview with Punia:
Are you an early riser?
My eyes open by 6 am most days, but I like to stay in bed for a while. We’ve been having foreign coaches for a long time now. They prefer to start training at 9 am. But under Indian coaches, particularly when I started playing, we would start early, at around 6 am.
What were mornings like at the Asian Games, especially after the semifinal loss to China?
It was difficult. You keep thinking, ‘Is there some way we can play the match again and change the result?’
We had a day’s gap till the bronze playoff. So we reminded ourselves that the gold medal may have eluded us, but we could still try for a podium finish.
What do you tell yourself on the morning of a pressure match, like the Asian Games bronze playoff against Japan?
There was a time when I would not know how to psych myself up for a game. But now I know that it is important to be mentally ready, and have gotten good at it.
As captain, the energy of the team starts with me. I can’t have a long face if we have a big game ahead. So at breakfast the day of the Japan game, I wished all players ‘good morning’ with a smile. The match was at 4 pm. We had breakfast at 8.30 am, followed by some rest. Then we had activation (exercises), a light lunch at 11.30 and left for the match at 1.30.
As someone who has played all over the world, are there places where you especially like the morning hour?
New Zealand. I love the weather and the clean air there. I also like Vancouver. It was one of the first places I went to overseas and perhaps that’s why it’s special to me. (Another reason for Savita to be fond of the city, though she doesn’t say so herself, is her husband Ankit Balhara is based there).
How do you like to get your dose of morning news?
I like reading the paper. I start with the sports page and then scan the other sections. Any news about mistreatment of women hurts me. “Mat pada kar” (“Don’t read such news”), many of my near ones tell me, because I go deep into things sometimes.
What do you like to see on your breakfast table?
I love tea. But the first thing I have in the morning are a couple of glasses of warm water. I like peanut butter and toast, fruit, cereal and vegetables for breakfast. I’m vegetarian. Andhra thalis are my favourite. Other than that I’m a fairly unadventurous eater who loves vegetables and tea. Many people tease me about it, “How can you eat such boring food?”
Which celebrity would you like to have breakfast with?
I’m not starry-eyed when it comes to celebrities. But now that you ask, one famous person I would like to have breakfast with is Dharmendra sir. I was very close to my grandfather (Ranjit Singh Punia), and Dharmendraji is a grandfatherly person who seems to keep his family together.
Anything spiritual that you do in the morning, or a song or prayer that you listen to?
My phone has a picture of my grandfather. After waking up, I take his blessing. Then I play Hanuman Chalisa on YouTube, no matter where I am.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
