Savita Punia has revived her Olympic dream after considering retirement, aiming to help India win a historic medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic following recent success at the Asian Games and World Cup.
Published: October 16, 2026, 7:30 PM IST
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Savita Punia eyes historic Olympic medal at LA 2028 (Image – X)
India women’s hockey goalkeeper Savita Punia has renewed her Olympic dream after considering retirement last yearThe experienced custodian says the team’s recent success, including a historic gold medal at the Asian Games, has strengthened her belief that India can reach the podium at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Savita played a key role in India’s Asian Games triumph, making a crucial save from a penalty stroke against China in the finalThe victory ended India’s 44-year wait for gold in women’s hockey at the continental event and secured direct qualification for the Los Angeles Olympics.
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India also finished fifth at the World Cup this year, giving the team further confidence ahead of the next Olympic cycleSavita believes the team has made progress and can now aim for a historic Olympic medal.
“We achieved a historic fifth-place finish at the World Cup this yearWe won gold at the Asian Games after 44 years, and I feel that a medal at the Los Angeles Olympics is now within reach,” Savita said in an interview at the PTI office.
“My dream is to finish on the Olympic podium, and I am fully prepared for Los AngelesI am sure the regret of Tokyo will be erased there.”
The 36-year-old revealed that she had written to Hockey India last year to express her wish to retireHowever, the federation persuaded her to continue, and the arrival of coach Sjoerd Marijne helped her rediscover her motivation.
“I mailed Hockey India last year, saying that I no longer wanted to play, but the federation stopped me from retiringI even left the camp and went home, but then Sjoerd Marijne took over as coach, and I felt I could still play,” she said.
Savita also praised Wayne Lombard for helping her return to action after ankle surgery last yearShe stressed that the team’s improved goalkeeping has been a collective effort involving Marijne and goalkeeping consultant Pirmin Blaak.
“Our goalkeeping is being praised, but the crucial contributions of coach Sjoerd Marijne, Wayne and goalkeeping consultant Pirmin Blaak cannot be forgotten,” she said.
Recalling her penalty-stroke save in the Asian Games final, Savita explained that she had studied China’s previous attempts and discussed the plan with teammate Bichu before the match.
Savita said the team had faced challenges over the past two years, but better coordination and belief helped the players move forward togetherShe also rejected the idea that India’s fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics was a one-off achievement, saying the team found fresh direction under the new coaching staff.
The goalkeeper also spoke about the pressure women athletes face over age, marriage and family expectationsShe said support from her family helped her continue playing and achieve the Asian Games gold.
