Savita Punia Points to Fitness Deficiencies as Cause for Indian Women's Hockey Team's Recent Struggles
Veteran goalkeeper Savita Punia has pinpointed "poor fitness" as the primary factor behind the Indian women's hockey team's disappointing performances throughout the previous year. However, with the return of Sjoerd Marijne as chief coach, she has expressed strong confidence in the team's ability to secure qualification for this year's World Cup through the upcoming qualifiers scheduled for next month in Hyderabad.
Missed Direct Qualification and Upcoming Qualifier Challenge
The Indian women's team failed to secure direct qualification for the World Cup, which will be held in Belgium and the Netherlands in August this year, via the Asia Cup. Consequently, they must now compete in the qualifiers in Hyderabad from March 8 to 14. The tournament will feature other teams including England, Scotland, Korea, Italy, Uruguay, Wales, and Austria.
The qualification structure stipulates that the top three teams from each qualifier will advance to the World Cup, along with the fourth highest-ranked sides from both competitions.
Fitness Identified as Critical Factor in Performance Fluctuations
In an interview with PTI Bhasha, Savita elaborated on the team's recent challenges. "Sports has its ups and downs, and last year was one such period. The biggest reason was that our fitness was lacking somewhere. Fitness was a major factor behind our good performance at the Tokyo Olympics," she stated.
She credited the coaching staff, including Sjoerd Marijne, Janneke Schopman, and scientific advisor Wayne Lombard, for their dedicated efforts in enhancing the team's fitness levels. "Only the top teams participate in the Olympics, and fitness is crucial to competing with them. Everyone knows the prowess of Indian hockey but in the 2016 Rio Olympics, we were let down by fitness. We improved on this in Tokyo, but of late our fitness level has declined," Savita explained.
Post-Olympic Slump and Current Do-or-Die Scenario
Following a historic fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics, the Indian women's team struggled to maintain momentum. In 2025, they finished last in the FIH Pro League with only 10 points from 16 matches, resulting in their relegation to the FIH Nations Cup.
Savita acknowledged that the upcoming World Cup qualifier represents a "do-or-die situation" for India. "Our team was good before and is good even today. We got the trainer we asked for, the coach we wanted, and the team atmosphere is very good," said Savita, who was recently selected for the Padma Shri award this year.
"The entire team knows that the World Cup qualifier is a do-or-die situation for us, but we are confident that we have the kind of game we need to win the tournament," added the custodian, who boasts over 300 international caps.
Future Challenges and Strategic Goals
Looking ahead, Savita emphasized the importance of regaining their spot in the FIH Pro League. "It's a big blow to be eliminated from the Pro League, and now we have to qualify for it by winning the Nations Cup. We can play against the top eight teams in the world through this, which will provide great experience," said the 35-year-old former captain.
She also highlighted the packed schedule for the year, which includes the World Cup and the Asian Games. "There's very little time between the two tournaments, so we'll have to work on our fitness. We have silver and bronze in the Asian Games, but now we're eyeing gold to directly qualify for the Los Angeles Olympics," Savita revealed.
"We'll face challenge from China in the Asian Games, but we know their strengths and weaknesses. We have to focus on our strength. With this philosophy, we qualified for the Pro League by winning the Nations Cup, and we will continue to do so," she asserted.
Coach Sjoerd Marijne's Impact and Motivational Role
The Indian women's team, which qualified for the Olympics after a 36-year gap in Rio, was eliminated in the group stage but achieved a historic fourth-place finish in Tokyo under coach Marijne. The 51-year-old Dutchman has now rejoined the Indian team after previously serving as coach from 2017 to 2021, following the resignation of Harendra Singh.
Savita praised Marijne's influence, stating, "Sjoerd motivates us a lot and maintains a positive atmosphere. He is a very demanding coach on the field and instills a sense of responsibility in the players."
Reflecting on her personal journey, she added, "If I talk about myself, I thought my career was almost over in 2017 after our poor performance at the Rio Olympics. But he gave me a chance and from there, I started enjoying my goalkeeping. His confidence helped me perform well."
