FIH Hockey Star Awards 2023: India’s Hardik Singh is Player of the Year
Hardik Singh was part of the gold medal-winning Indian team at the Asian Games and Asian Champions Trophy. Savita Punia was named the women’s goalkeeper of the year.
Hockey
Indian hockey team midfielder Hardik Singh was named the men’s FIH Player of the Year at the FIH Hockey Star Awards 2023 announced on Tuesday. Indian women’s hockey team captain Savita Punia won the best goalkeeper of the year award.
The awardees were determined through a voting process involving a panel of experts, national associations represented by their team captains and coaches, as well as fans and media. Dutch player Xan de Waard, meanwhile, won the FIH Women's Player of the Year honour.
Hardik Singh was part of India’s Tokyo 2020 bronze medal-winning team. The midfielder was the standout player for India in the opening couple of matches of the 2023 FIH Hockey World Cup but was later ruled out due to a hamstring injury.
Singh was integral in India’s gold medal-winning runs at the Asian Champions Trophy in Malaysia and the Asian Games 2023 in the People’s Republic of China earlier this year.
At the age of 25, Hardik Singh already has 114 caps for India. Singh also won the player of the year title at the Hockey India Awards 2022 held in March.
"It's an absolute honour to receive this esteemed award. I am immensely grateful to my teammates, coaches, and supporters who have been the pillars of my success. This recognition fuels my determination to continue giving my best to the sport I love. The journey to this award has been filled with challenges and learning experiences. It's a reminder that hard work, perseverance, and a supportive team can pave the way for remarkable achievements," Hardik Singh said.
While Indian men’s team captain Harmanpreet Singh, who won the previous two FIH Player of the Year awards, missed out, Indian women’s hockey team captain Savita Punia won the FIH Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year Award for the third time on the trot.
Starting from the Test matches in Australia to the recently held Asian Games, Savita has been on top of her game this year. The 33-year-old, who has 266 international caps, helped India win the gold medal at the Asian Champions Trophy held in October. She will look to help India qualify for the Paris Olympics with a top-three finish at the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifier 2024 next month.