Savita Punia was in top form as India clinched a bronze medal in the women's hockey event of the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2022 (CWG 2022) in Birmingham, on Sunday. The goalkeeper captain put in fantastic saves as India edged past New Zealand in a penalty shootout victory. India took a lead, courtesy of a goal from Salima Tete. But New Zealand grabbed an equaliser in the dying seconds of the final quarter, forcing the match into a penalty shootout. In the shootout, Savita was in excellent form and put in match-winning saves to help India seal a 2-1 win in the shootout. For her final save in the shootout, Savita saved an effort from Olivia Shannon, who tried to round her up at the bottom-right corner.
Here is the video of Savita's save:
After the match, Savita took to Twitter to thank everyone for their support. She wrote, "#WeAreTeamIndia & we have won Bronze in the #CommonwealthGames22 We're so grateful to all the support you've shown us. It's not just a medal for us. It's an inspiration to the future of India.We are honoured to be recognized for our performance & commitment."
The post was well-received by fans, with everyone hailing her. One user wrote, "Be the hallmark of a true player. We salute you Savita with the confidence and determination with which you have served as a goalkeeper for India. Coming generations will remember you, salute you!"
Meanwhile, another added, "The progress the womens team has made in world hockey is immense. You all should be proud of where you have reached in this 1 yr. Continue on this momentum and keep inspiring the future Indian hockey aspirants".