The Hockey India 7th Annual Awards 2024 took place in New Delhi, bringing together the nation’s hockey community to honor players, officials, and legends who have contributed significantly to the sport.
This year’s ceremony held special significance as it marked 100 years of Indian hockey and the golden jubilee of India’s historic 1975 World Cup victory. To commemorate this milestone, Hockey India recognized the members of the 1975 World Cup-winning squad with the Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award and a cash prize of INR 50 lakh.
The event was notable for featuring a record-breaking prize pool of INR 12 crore, the highest ever in the history of the Hockey India Annual Awards.
Among the top individual accolades, Savita and Harmanpreet Singh were named recipients of the Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of the Year 2024 in the women’s and men’s categories, respectively.
The evening began with a tribute to the Indian men’s hockey team’s bronze medal win at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Team members received a cash reward of INR 15 lakh each, while alternate players were awarded INR 5 lakh each. Support staff were also recognized with INR 7.5 lakh each for their contributions.
Hockey India acknowledged the efforts of state hockey associations in fostering talent by awarding INR 10 lakh each to eight states—Hockey Haryana, Hockey Jharkhand, Hockey Association of Odisha, Hockey Madhya Pradesh, Hockey Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh Hockey, and Hockey Punjab—based on their performances at the 14th Hockey India National Championships 2024.
Additionally, the Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu was honored as the Best Member Unit of the Year 2024 for its efforts in grassroots development through the Tamil Nadu School Hockey League. This initiative featured participation from 8 districts, 306 schools, over 5,500 players, and 500+ matches, significantly contributing to the sport’s growth.
Both the Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams received INR 2.28 crore and INR 1.41 crore, respectively, as incentives. This included INR 50,000 per player and INR 25,000 per support staff for each international match won.
Several players were recognized for their individual achievements on the global stage. Harmanpreet Singh received INR 10 lakh for winning the FIH Men’s Player of the Year 2024 at the FIH Hockey Star Awards and an additional INR 1 lakh for the Play of the Tournament at the Men’s Asian Champions Trophy 2024. PR Sreejesh was awarded INR 5 lakh for being named FIH Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year 2024. Deepika earned INR 1 lakh each for finishing as the Leading Goalscorer and Best Player of the Tournament at the Bihar Women’s Asian Champions Trophy 2024 in Rajgir and another INR 1 lakh for leading the scoring charts at the Junior Women’s Asia Cup 2024 in Muscat, Oman. Araijeet Singh Hundal was also honored with INR 1 lakh for being named Player of the Tournament at the Junior Men’s Asia Cup 2024 in Muscat, Oman.
The Milestone Awards 2024 acknowledged significant career achievements. Boby Singh Dhami, Rutaja Dadaso Pisal, and Sakshi Rana were each awarded INR 1 lakh for scoring a goal in their debut matches. Jarmanpreet Singh and Shamsher Singh received INR 1 lakh each for reaching 100 international caps, while Vivek Sagar Prasad and Sumit were awarded INR 1.5 lakh each for completing 150 international caps. Amit Rohidas earned INR 2 lakh for reaching 200 international caps, and Sushila Chanu was honored with INR 2.5 lakh for completing 250 international appearances.
Teams that secured titles at major international tournaments were also recognized. Players from the Men’s Asian Champions Trophy 2024 and Women’s Asian Champions Trophy 2024 title-winning squads received INR 3 lakh each, while support staff earned INR 1.5 lakh. The Junior Men’s and Women’s Asia Cup-winning teams were also rewarded, with players receiving INR 2 lakh each and support staff INR 1 lakh.
In the umpiring and officiating category, Ripudaman Sharma won the Hockey India President Award for Umpire/Umpires Manager of the Year 2024, receiving INR 2.5 lakh. Anil Kumar P K was recognized with the same amount for his contributions as a technical official.
The Beighton Cup Hockey Tournament was honored with the Hockey India President Award for Outstanding Achievement 2024, receiving INR 5 lakh. Meanwhile, Prasar Bharati was recognized with the Hockey India Jaman Lal Sharma Award for Invaluable Contribution 2024 for its role in broadcasting the Hero Hockey India League 2024-25 and expanding its reach.
Savita, a key player in the Indian women’s team, won the Hockey India Baljit Singh Award for Goalkeeper of the Year 2024, receiving INR 5 lakh. Amit Rohidas, recognized as one of the world’s top first-rushers, received the Hockey India Pargat Singh Award for Defender of the Year 2024, also worth INR 5 lakh. Hardik Singh, a consistent performer, won the Hockey India Ajit Pal Singh Award for Midfielder of the Year 2024, receiving INR 5 lakh. Abhishek, a key forward, retained the Hockey India Dhanraj Pillay Award for Forward of the Year, along with INR 5 lakh.
Young talents Deepika and Araijeet Singh Hundal were recognized as the most promising under-21 players, winning the Hockey India Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year 2024 (Women Under-21) and the Hockey India Jugraj Singh Award for Upcoming Player of the Year 2024 (Men Under-21), respectively. Each received INR 10 lakh and a trophy.
Savita, having recently completed 300 international caps, secured her third Hockey India Balbir Singh Senior Award for Player of the Year (Women), while Harmanpreet Singh, who captained India to an Olympic bronze and several international victories, received his second Senior Player of the Year award. Both were awarded INR 25 lakh and a trophy.
A major highlight of the evening was the honoring of the 1975 World Cup-winning team with the Hockey India Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award 2024 and a cash prize of INR 50 lakh. Among those present were 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 accepted the award on behalf of captain Ajit Pal Singh, while family members of late team members, including Chanchal Randhawa (wife of Late Surjit Singh), Naveen Pawar (son of Late Shivaji Pawar), Satpal Singh (brother of Late Mohinder Singh), Manjeet Kaur (wife of Late Varinder Singh), and Sheela Kindo (wife of Late Michael Kindo), were also present.
Expressing her gratitude, Savita said, “I am deeply honored to receive this award for the third time. This achievement would not have been possible without my teammates, coaches, family, and supporters. I am truly grateful, and this recognition will only motivate me to strive harder.”
Harmanpreet Singh reflected on the importance of the awards, saying, “These honors serve as inspiration for young players. I hope our men’s and women’s teams continue to perform well without pressure. Today is a special occasion, and celebrating with our legends is truly meaningful. Just like them, we hope to bring the World Cup home next year.”
Key winners of the Hockey India 7th Annual Awards 2024:
* INR 5 lakh – Hockey India Baljit Singh Award for Goalkeeper of the Year – Savita
* INR 5 lakh – Hockey India Pargat Singh Award for Defender of the Year – Amit Rohidas
* INR 5 lakh – Hockey India Ajit Pal Singh Award for Midfielder of the Year – Hardik Singh
* INR 5 lakh – Hockey India Dhanraj Pillay Award for Forward of the Year – Abhishek
* INR 10 lakh – Hockey India Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Women Under-21) – Deepika
* INR 10 lakh – Hockey India Jugraj Singh Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Men Under-21) – Araijeet Singh Hundal
* INR 25 lakh – Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of The Year (Women) – Savita
* INR 25 lakh – Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of The Year (Men) – Harmanpreet Singh
* INR 50 lakh – Hockey India Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award – 1975 World Cup-winning team
The post Hockey India Recognizes Excellence at 7th Annual Awards 2024 appeared first on Sports News Portal | Latest Sports Articles | Revsports.
