Explorer

Hockey Captain Manpreet Becomes First Indian To Win FIH Men's Player Of The Year Award

The 27-year-old midfielder, thus, became the first from the country to win the accolade since the awards were introduced in 1999.

New Delhi: Indian men's hockey team captain Manpreet Singh on Thursday became the first player for the nation to win the International Hockey Federation's (FIH) Player of the Year award, capping a memorable 2019 season in which he led the side to Olympic qualification.

The 27-year-old midfielder, thus, became the first from the country to win the accolade since the awards were introduced in 1999. He beat competition from Belgium's Arthur van Dorren and Lucas Villa of Argentina, who came second and third respectively. Manpreet polled a total of 35.2 per cent of combined votes, which includes National Associations, media, fans and players. Van Dorren, on the other hand, got combined vote share of 19.7 per cent while Villa polled 16.5 per cent in his favour. Other players who were nominated for the award were Victor Wegnez of Belgium and Australian duo of Aran Zalewski and Eddie Ockenden. Manpreet, who had represented India at 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympics, has enjoyed a long career in the national team since he made his debut in 2011. He now has 260 international appearances under his belt. Last year, Manpreet led India to victory in the FIH Olympic Qualifiers, securing their Tokyo Olympics spot. Talking about the last season, Manpreet said: "If you look at our year, we did well in every tournament we participated in. Be it the FIH Series Finals in June or the test series in Belgium where we played the hosts as well as Spain and beat them. "Our biggest goal in 2019 was to book our berth at the Olympics."
Manpreet dedicated the award to his teammates, saying without their support it wouldn't have been possible. "I am truly honoured to win this award and I would like to dedicate this to my team. I also thank my well wishers and hockey fans from around the world for voting in my favour. It is truly humbling to see so much support for Indian hockey," he said.
View More
Advertisement
Advertisement
25°C
New Delhi
Rain: 100mm
Humidity: 97%
Wind: WNW 47km/h
See Today's Weather
powered by
Accu Weather
Advertisement

Top Headlines

PM Modi At 1st Bodoland Mahotsov In Delhi Says ‘Govt Making Steady Efforts For Peace In Northeast’ — Top Quotes
PM Modi At 1st Bodoland Mahotsov In Delhi Says ‘Govt Making Steady Efforts For Peace In Northeast’ — Top Quotes
Delhi: NCB Seizes Cocaine Worth Rs 900 Crore, Arrests 2; Shah Stresses 'Ruthless' Hunt Against Drug Rackets
Delhi: NCB Seizes Cocaine Worth Rs 900 Crore; Shah Stresses 'Ruthless' Hunt Against Drug Rackets
Maharashtra Election: ‘Modi Will Amend Waqf Act,’ Amit Shah Takes Aim At Uddhav, Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule
‘Modi Will Amend Waqf Act’: Amit Shah Takes Aim At Uddhav, Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule
Rahul Gandhi's Chopper Stuck In Jharkhand After Failing To Get Clearance From ATC
Rahul Gandhi's Chopper Stuck In Jharkhand. Here's Why
Advertisement
ABP Premium

Videos

Rajasthan Administrative Officers' Union Meets CM Bhajanlal Sharma Ahead Of Tonk By-Election ClashUPPSC Protest Sparks Student Uprising in Prayagraj as RSS-BJP Hold Crucial Meeting Ahead of UP By-ElectionsUPPSC Protest Escalates in Prayagraj, Students Demand Single-Shift Exam Schedule | ABP NewsBJPs Furious Over Ghulam Ahmad Mir's Remarks Says, 'Congress Wants to Create a Separate Nation'

Photo Gallery

Embed widget