The Indian hockey fraternity marked a moment of deep pride as Hockey India congratulated Savita Punia and Baldev Singh on being conferred with the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian honour.
The recognition celebrates not only two distinguished careers, but also two very different yet equally powerful journeys that have shaped Indian hockey across generations one on the field and the other from the touchline.
For Savita, the Padma Shri is the crowning acknowledgement of more than a decade of excellence between the posts. For Baldev Singh, it is a lifetime honour for a man who has quietly and relentlessly built Indian hockey through his playing days and, more significantly, through his transformative work as a coach.
Savita: The backbone of India’s resurgence
Savita’s rise from a young goalkeeper making her debut at the age of 20 to becoming one of the most respected custodians in world hockey mirrors the resurgence of Indian women’s hockey itself. Over the past decade, she has been a constant presence during a period when the team evolved from being competitive to becoming a genuine force on the global stage.
In 2025, Savita crossed a milestone that very few hockey players in the world ever reach 300 international caps becoming only the second Indian goalkeeper after PR Sreejesh to do so. That figure alone speaks of remarkable longevity, consistency and resilience in a position that demands mental strength as much as physical agility.
Her defining moment, however, came at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, where she was instrumental in India’s historic fourth-place finish. Time and again, Savita produced match-winning saves that kept India alive against the world’s best, giving the team belief that they belonged on the biggest stage. That campaign did not yield a medal, but it changed the global perception of Indian women’s hockey, and Savita was central to that transformation.
She had already played vital roles at the Rio 2016 Olympics and the 2018 Hockey Women’s World Cup, where India reached the quarter-finals, but Tokyo elevated her to a different level of recognition. From that point onwards, Savita was no longer just India’s first-choice goalkeeper she was one of the sport’s elite.
As captain, she led India to some of the most memorable achievements in the team’s history. The bronze medal at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games was a breakthrough moment for women’s hockey in India, while the FIH Nations Cup title and back-to-back Asian Champions Trophy gold medals in 2023 and 2024 underlined India’s growing dominance in Asia.
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Her excellence has been repeatedly recognised. Savita is a two-time Hockey India Balbir Singh Senior Award for Player of the Year winner and has claimed the FIH Goalkeeper of the Year award for three consecutive seasons from 2020 to 2023. The Arjuna Award in 2018 acknowledged her achievements early, but the Padma Shri places her legacy in the national pantheon of sporting greats.
Baldev Singh: A lifetime devoted to building hockey
While Savita’s career has unfolded under the floodlights of international arenas, Baldev Singh’s impact has often been quieter but just as profound. As a player, he represented India at the highest level, including the 1976 Montreal Olympics and three Hockey World Cups. He was part of the Indian team that won bronze at the 1971 World Cup in Barcelona, silver in 1973 in Amsterdam, and again represented the country in Buenos Aires in 1978. At the Asian Games in 1970 and 1974, he added two silver medals to his résumé.
Yet it was as a coach that Baldev Singh truly reshaped Indian hockey. Over decades, he became one of the country’s most influential mentors, guiding and moulding players who would go on to define modern Indian hockey. Among those who passed through his hands are Sandeep Singh, one of the world’s most feared drag-flickers and an Olympic medallist, and Rani Rampal, the former captain of the Indian women’s team and one of the most iconic figures in Indian hockey.
His list of protégés also includes Didar Singh, Sanjeev Kumar Dang, Harpal Singh and Navjot Kaur, athletes who carried Indian colours at the highest level. Baldev Singh’s coaching philosophy was rooted in discipline, fundamentals and belief qualities that helped many players rise from modest beginnings to international stardom.
In 2009, he was awarded the Dronacharya Award, India’s highest honour for coaches. The Padma Shri now recognises not just his results, but his lifelong commitment to nurturing Indian hockey from the grassroots to the global stage.
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Hockey India President Dr. Dilip Tirkey described the honour as a proud moment for the entire hockey community, noting that Savita has “redefined goalkeeping standards” while Baldev Singh’s influence as a coach has shaped generations. Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh echoed those sentiments, calling their journeys a powerful inspiration for young athletes.
Together, Savita and Baldev Singh represent the past, present and future of Indian hockey excellence on the field and wisdom off it. Their Padma Shri awards are not merely personal milestones, but a celebration of Indian hockey’s enduring spirit and its steady march towards global respect.
