Winning gold at Asian Games is the target: Savita Punia

It took weeks and months for the girls to overcome the painful loss of having missed the opportunity to finish on the podium for the first time in their history. But, instead of sulking over the Olympic loss, the enriching Tokyo experience and appreciation which Rani Rampal & Co received for their valiant show spurred on the players to aim for medal glory in the run up to their next big assignment - the postponed Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, which will act as a direct qualifier for the Paris Games 2024. Under the fine leadership of goalkeeper Savita Punia, who has earned the epithet of the 'Great Wall of India' for her dazzling penalty corner saves, the team has set its sight on winning the Asiad gold to directly qualify for Paris, without having to go through the tricky qualification process later on.

"It's important for the team to directly make the cut for the Olympics through Asiad. We have been preparing in that direction. Winning the gold is our sole target.

This will provide us enough time to prepare for the Paris Games where the effort would be to finish on the podium," Savita told TOI in an interview. The team made an impressive debut at the FIH Pro League, where they finished a creditable third after a long season. Last month, the Savita-led side produced another scintillating show to secure a historic bronze at the Birmingham CWG.

Reflecting upon the season, the 32-year old goalie said the semis finish in Tokyo acted as a "big turning point" for the women's hockey team as it gave them belief they could compete with the best in the world. "Our performance in Tokyo is still appreciated by everyone. Though we missed out on a medal, the whole experience acted as a catalyst to strive for podium finish in every