2021 in Tokyo will be great chance for us to make history: Savita Punia

Bengaluru: Indian hockey goalkeeper Savita Punia believes that the lockdown period has taught her patience and given her more reasons to value even the small moments.

"I have always been a very quiet person who is mostly calm, but I believe that the time we spent during lockdown has really taken my patience level to a new high. We were all very comfortably placed here in SAI Centre, Bengaluru with our teammates and support staff, and I think it gave us the chance to really connect with each other as well," expressed Savita, who hails from Sirsa, Haryana.

"I think in circumstances like these, you really start to wonder about the 'what could haves' and the 'what ifs', and that is when you also realize how important even the small moments are to each of us. For me, I have missed my family a lot, but I have also been very, very happy that they are all safe and healthy, and that once I go back home, I will really be valuing those moments a lot," added the 29-year-old.

Always playing with a steadfast approach on the field, Savita has been a rock at the back for the Indian team for the past 12 years, but believes her best is yet to come.

"It is a funny thing that when I first started off, my self-belief and passion for the sport was really less as compared to other people. However, with time, I started falling in love with the sport, and I truly believe now that the best for me is yet to come," said the Indian goalkeeper.

With the Tokyo Olympics scheduled for next year now, Savita added that her experience of playing in the Rio Olympics in 2016 will help her better her individual performances.

"When I say my best is yet to come, it is because my goal is to perform exceptionally for my team at the Tokyo Olympics, and make sure that I can put the nightmare of Rio (Olympics 2016) behind me. I think our team was really raw at that point of time, and we did make a few mistakes. However, 2021 in Tokyo will surely be a great chance for our team to make history," said Savita.

Also speaking on the return of hockey in some countries, Savita said that the Indian team is really raring to go.

"We have been doing our homework for the past couple of months where we have been studying and analysing various aspects of our's and our opponents' game. It has been really good to hear about the return of hockey in some countries including New Zealand, and I speak for my entire team when I say that we cannot wait to get back to playing competitive hockey against the top nations," said Savita.