In Padma list, World Cup winning captain Harmanpreet, hockey mainstay Savita, legendary coach Baldev Singh

“It’s a huge honour for Harmanpreet and it’s a surreal feeling to see her being chosen for the award. Cricket has been her life for so many years and has even her everything. When such awards are given, players are motivated further and it’s a day of celebration for the whole Bhullar family as well as the whole of Punjab and India,” Harmendar Singh told The Indian Express.

Savita Punia has been a mainstay of the Indian women’s hockey team for more than a decade and is widely regarded as one of the finest goalkeepers of her generation. The 35-year-old made her senior international debut at the age of 20 and played a pivotal role in India’s historic fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics. Her experience also proved crucial during India’s appearances at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and the 2018 Women’s Hockey World Cup, where the team reached the quarterfinals.

After taking over the captaincy following the Tokyo Games, Savita led India to a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and a title triumph at the FIH Nations Cup the same year.

Under her leadership, India also won back-to-back Women’s Asian Champions Trophy titles in 2023 and 2024.

Savita’s father Mahender Singh Punia said the award is the recognition for his daughter’s efforts over the years. “When such honours are bestowed upon, it’s the recognition of the hard work as well as years of struggles. The award belongs to the country first and then the state and village and then the family. It’s also the recognition of the dreams of girls like Savita, who dreamt of playing for India as a kid. And it will also inspire more girls to pick up the hockey stick and make India proud one day,” said Mahender Singh Punia while speaking with The Indian Express.

Coach Baldev Singh, a Dronacharya awardee, has been recognised for his transformative role in Indian women’s hockey. Hailing from a village near Patiala, 74-year-old Singh had joined the Haryana Sports department as a coach at Shahbad in 1982. After a four-year stint at the small town, Singh retired to Shahbad in 1992 and has played his part in making Shahbad rise as an Indian women’s hockey nursery. Singh has coached the likes of Indian women hockey captains Surinder Kaur, Ritu Rani, Rani Rampal and many more and more than 40 of his trainees have played for India as well more than 150 trainees have got government jobs for playing for India and various domestic teams. “I became a coach after my friend the late Surjit Singh Randhawa told me to do a coaching diploma. When I was first posted by Haryana Sports Department at Shahbad, my focus was on men’s teams but girls would also come to train. Players like Bhupinder Kaur and Sandeep Kaur would play for India. Later when I returned to Shahbad in 1992, we would make a lot of efforts to train women players and the town has seen more than 40 players donning India colours. Players like Surinder Kaur, Ritu Rani and Rani Rampal and others have made sure that Shahbad is now one of the major hockey centres in India. When I got promoted, I had the option to shift to Chandigarh but I opted to stay at Shahbad training the girls. To see the trainees represent India and win medals for India is the biggest reward for me,” shared Singh while speaking with The Indian Express.