After historic World Cup finish, Savita Punia urges PM Modi to ‘Save WHIL’

Savita Punia (right) with Bichu Devi Kharibam in Amstelveen on Thursday Calcutta: India’s best World Cup finish in 52 years prompted a call from former Indian captain and goalkeeper Savita Punia, who wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media after the team’s historic campaign, asking him to help save the Women’s Hockey Indian League (WHIL).Hours after India finished fifth at the Amstelveen World Cup on Thursday, Savita posted a series of messages on ‘X’, tagging the Prime Minister, Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviy, several other ministers, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, sports personalities and potential corporate backers.“Sir, our women have just rewritten hockey history after 52 years. The league that built these players – Women’s HIL – needs support to survive. Your word could change its destiny,” she wrote tagging Modi.The timing of the appeal was important. India have just completed one of their best World Cup campaigns, beating world No.5 Germany 3-1 to finish fifth – their best finish since the inaugural World Cup in 1974 when they finished fourth.But while the result offered plenty to celebrate, Savita’s contributions highlighted concerns off the field — the uncertain future of the WHIL. Savita believes that the league is too important to disappear.“WHIL is that platform. It creates opportunities, develops talent and builds a pipeline for future World Cup and Olympic stars,” she wrote in another post, before directly calling on government ministers: “Let’s make sure the girls who come through today have the league they dream of playing in tomorrow.”The India captain also reached out to some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment in the country and asked them to use their influence to gain exposure and potential sponsors for women’s hockey.Tagging Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Ananya Birla, she wrote: “Women’s hockey needs your voice right now. Your single tweet could bring sponsors and visibility back to the WHIL.”She also addressed the Reliance Foundation and Nita Ambani, highlighting their work in local sports and Olympic talent development. “Women’s HIL is exactly the kind of bottom-to-elite pipeline that needs supporters like this right now,” she wrote.Savita did not forget those who have already supported the women’s game. She thanked Parth Jindal and JSW along with the Delhi Pipers and Bengal Tigers ownership groups for standing behind women’s hockey and urged others to follow suit.The message running through her posts was stark: India’s success in the Netherlands cannot be taken for granted.“The math is simple: no league → no talent pool → no next generation → no World Cup medal,” Savita wrote. “Our women have achieved the best finish in India in 52 years with a struggling league. Imagine what is possible if we really invest in it.”For a team that has just shown it can compete with the world’s best, Savita’s appeal is ultimately about ensuring that the next generation gets the same opportunity — and that the path to the national team doesn’t disappear just as Indian women’s hockey appears to be moving forward.