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Hockey India honours legends, stars at 7th Annual Awards 2024

New Delhi, Mar 15 (UNI) The Hockey India 7th Annual Awards 2024 brought together the Indian hockey fraternity in the national capital on Saturday as the apex body celebrated the country’s finest hockey stars, officials, and legends who have made immense contributions to the sport.
This year’s ceremony held special significance as it coincided with the centenary of Indian hockey and the golden jubilee of India’s historic 1975 World Cup triumph. In recognition of this milestone, Hockey India felicitated members of the victorious 1975 World Cup squad with the Hockey India Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award, along with a cash prize of Rs 50 lakh.
The evening, marked by a record prize pool of Rs 12 crore, the highest ever in the event’s history, saw the recognition of top players, teams, and contributors to the sport.
Among the key honours, Savita and Harmanpreet Singh were named winners of the Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of the Year 2024 in the Women’s and Men’s categories, respectively.
The event began with a special felicitation of the Indian Men’s Hockey Team for their bronze medal win at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Each player received Rs 15 lakh, while alternate players and support staff were awarded Rs 5 lakh and Rs 7.5 lakh, respectively.
In the state category, Hockey Haryana, Hockey Jharkhand, Hockey Association of Odisha, Hockey Madhya Pradesh, Hockey Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh Hockey, and Hockey Punjab were each awarded Rs 10 lakh for their outstanding performances at the 14th Hockey India National Championships 2024. The Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu was named Best Member Unit of the Year 2024 for its efforts in grassroots hockey development, earning special recognition for its pioneering Tamil Nadu School Hockey League.
The Indian Men's and Women's Hockey Teams received Rs 2.28 crore and Rs 1.41 crore, respectively, as incentives for their international performances. Additional rewards were given for individual achievements, with Harmanpreet Singh receiving Rs 10 lakh for winning the FIH Men's Player of the Year 2024, and PR Sreejesh awarded Rs 5 lakh for being named FIH Men's Goalkeeper of the Year.
Deepika was recognised with Rs 1 lakh each for finishing as Leading Goalscorer and Best Player of the Tournament at the Bihar Women’s Asian Champions Trophy 2024 in Rajgir, along with another Rs 1 lakh for being the Leading Goalscorer at the Junior Women’s Asia Cup 2024 in Muscat. Araijeet Singh Hundal was honoured with Rs 1 lakh for being named Player of the Tournament at the Junior Men’s Asia Cup 2024.
The Milestone Awards recognised players for significant career achievements, including Jarmanpreet Singh and Shamsher Singh for completing 100 international caps, Amit Rohidas for reaching 200 caps, and Sushila Chanu for achieving 250 international caps.
Further, winners of the Men’s and Women’s Asian Champions Trophy 2024 and the Junior Men’s and Women’s Asia Cup teams received financial rewards for their title-winning efforts.
The final category of the awards recognised officials and institutions contributing to the growth of the sport. Ripudaman Sharma was named Umpire/Umpires Manager of the Year 2024, and Anil Kumar P K was recognised as Technical Official of the Year. The Beighton Cup Hockey Tournament was awarded the Hockey India President Award for Outstanding Achievement 2024, while Prasar Bharati received the Hockey India Jaman Lal Sharma Award for Invaluable Contribution 2024.
The night saw Savita claim the Hockey India Baljit Singh Award for Goalkeeper of the Year, Amit Rohidas win the Pargat Singh Award for Defender of the Year, and Hardik Singh take the Ajit Pal Singh Award for Midfielder of the Year. Abhishek was named Forward of the Year, while Deepika and Araijeet Singh Hundal won the titles of Upcoming Player of the Year (Women Under-21) and (Men Under-21), respectively.
The event culminated with the honouring of the 1975 World Cup-winning team. Legendary players present included Leslie Fernandez, Onkar Singh, Ashok Diwan, B P Govinda, Kaliah P E, Brigadier HJS Chimni, V J Phillips, Ashok Kumar, Aslam Sher Khan, and Brigadier Harcharan Singh. Ashok Kumar received the award on behalf of captain Ajit Pal Singh, while family members of the late players were also in attendance.
Speaking on the occasion, Savita expressed her gratitude, saying, "I am deeply honoured to receive this award for the third time. This recognition is a motivation to work harder for Indian hockey." Harmanpreet Singh remarked, "These awards inspire young players, and I hope we continue our journey towards greater achievements, including bringing the World Cup home next year."
The grand evening reaffirmed Hockey India’s commitment to celebrating and promoting the sport, as it honoured past glories while looking ahead to future triumphs on the international stage.
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Tags: #Hockey India honours legends# stars at 7th Annual Awards 2024
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