Sat Nov 09 05:46:01 UTC 2024: ## Indian Hockey Stars Shine: Harmanpreet and Sreejesh Win FIH Player of the Year Awards

**Lausanne, Switzerland:** India’s hockey prowess continues to dominate the international stage as captain Harmanpreet Singh and legendary goalkeeper PR Sreejesh were awarded the prestigious FIH Player of the Year and Goalkeeper of the Year awards, respectively, at the 49th FIH Statutory Congress in Oman on November 9th.

Harmanpreet, who led India to a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, secured the top prize after a fierce competition with the likes of Joep de Mol and Thierry Brinkman from the Netherlands, Hannes Muller from Germany, and Zach Wallace from England. His stellar performance at the Paris Olympics, including 10 goals, including crucial strikes in the quarterfinal, semi-final, and the bronze medal match against Spain, solidified his position as the leading scorer.

Meanwhile, Sreejesh, who retired from international hockey after the Paris Olympics, triumphed over a strong field, including Pirmin Blaak (Netherlands), Luis Calzado (Spain), Jean-Paul Danneberg (Germany), and Tomas Santiago (Argentina). His third FIH Goalkeeper of the Year award caps off an illustrious career marked by two Olympic medals and a series of outstanding performances, including a heroic display against Great Britain in the Paris Olympics quarterfinal.

Both Harmanpreet and Sreejesh expressed gratitude for the honor, acknowledging the contributions of their teammates, Hockey India, and their families. The win marks Harmanpreet’s third FIH Player of the Year award, while Sreejesh also secured his third Goalkeeper of the Year title.

Other notable winners of FIH awards include Yibbi Jansen (Netherlands) for Women’s Player of the Year, Ye Jiao (China) for Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year, Sufyan Khan (Pakistan) for Men’s Rising Star of the Year, Zoe Diaz (Argentina) for Women’s Rising Star of the Year, Jeroen Delmee (Netherlands) for Men’s Coach of the Year, Alyson Annan (Women’s Coach of the Year), Steve Rogers (Australia) for Men’s Umpire of the Year, and Sarah Wilson (Scotland) for Women’s Umpire of the Year.

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