Saini Sisters is a popular epithet used for four sisters from

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

who were international field hockey players, Rupa Saini, Krishna Saini, Swarna Saini and Prema Saini. At one time Saini sisters dominated woman's hockey in India and in the test series against Japan in 1970 all three sisters played together for

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

.''"At one time, the Saini sisters dominated women's hockey in India and this can be gauged from the fact that three of them— Rupa, Krishna and Prema- turned out for the country in a Test series against Japan in 1970"
Olympians relive the peaks and the troughs, Ravi Dhaliwal, Sunday, 25 November 2001 , The Tribune

Rupa Saini Rupa Kumari Saini (born 2 September 1954) is an Indian field hockey player. She competed in the women's tournament at the 1980 Summer Olympics The 1980 Summer Olympics (russian: Летние Олимпийские игры 1980, Letniye Oli ...

had a particularly successful career. She donned the Indian colours in the 1974 France and 1978 Madrid World Cups and captained India in the latter playing as the centre-half. Saini earned nearly 200 Test caps both in India and abroad, and also played in the 1979 world championships held in Vancouver. She also went on to win the prestigious

Arjuna Award The Arjuna Award, officially known as Arjuna Awards for Outstanding Performance in Sports and Games, is the second-highest sporting honour of India, the highest being the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. The award is named after Arjuna, one ...

.''"Sports persons who brought laurels to the district include the Saini sisters (hockey) who played at the international level. Rupa Saini was awarded Arjuna Award and Prema Saini was decorated with Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award."'' Punjab district gazetteers, Volume 13, pp 473, Controller of Print. and Stationery, 1970 During the 1980 Olympics the sisters were star members of India's hockey team which also included the

Prem Maya Sonir Prem Maya Sonir (born July 14, 1961) is the Retired Sport Officer of North Eastern Railways Headquarters Gorakhpur. During the 1980 Olympics, she was one of the star members of India's hockey team which also included the Saini Sisters and Lorr ...

and

Lorraine Fernandes Lorraine Fernandes (born 24 December 1954) is an Indian field hockey player. She competed in the women's tournament at the 1980 Summer Olympics. During the Olympics she was one of the star members of India's hockey team which also included the S ...

where they defeated Austria and Poland. The team cane fourth missing out on a bronze medal. Prema Saini, Rupa's elder sibling, was decorated with

Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award The Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award, is an award given by the Government of Punjab for excellence and achievement in the service of Punjab in the field of Sport. This can be at the Olympic level, World Championship level, national and other internat ...

by the Punjab government. Rupa Saini later went on earn a doctoral degree and was employed as a senior lecturer with the Government College of Physical Education in Patiala. She later went on to become principal, Govt. Mohindra college, Patiala. She has also been in the past appointed as a manager of the senior Indian team by the Indian Women Hockey Federation (IWHF).

References

People from Faridkot, Punjab Punjabi people Living people Indian female field hockey players Recipients of the Arjuna Award Sportswomen from Punjab, India Field hockey players from Punjab, India 20th-century Indian women 20th-century Indian people Year of birth missing (living people) Sports families of India Sibling trios {{India-fieldhockey-bio-stub

See also

References