Glimpses of first ever ‘Hockey India Annual Awards’ held on 28 March 2015
–Awards worth over Rs.2.80cr conferred to players for their outstanding performance
New Delhi, 28 March 2015: A landmark occasion was witnessed, as Hockey India today conferred the first ever Annual Awards to recognise the dedication and hard work of hockey players, coaches and administrators on the field to build the sport on the national and international arena. Awards of over Rs.2.80 Crore were presented in a glittering ceremony at New Delhi.
Hockey India Annual Awards: (Standing: LtoR) P R Sreejesh, Harendra Singh, Balbir Singh Sr, K Arumugam (One Thousand Hockey Legs), Sophie, Vandana Katariya, Deepika Thakur, Narinder Batra, (Sitting LtoR): Akashdeep Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Manpreet Singh, Birendra Lakra, Namita Toppo
Hockey India conferred the awards in the categories of Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award to Balbir Singh Sr. with a cash prize of Rs 30,00,000, the Dhruv Batra Award for Player of the Year (Men and Women) awarded to Birendra Lakra and Vandana Katariya taking home a cash award of Rs 25,00,000 each. Jaman Lal Sharma Award for Invaluable Contribution (for coaches and support staff) awarded to Harendra Singh wherein he got a cheque Rs 5,00,000 and Hockey India President Award for Outstanding Achievement conferred to One Thousand Hockey Legs( K Arumugam) with a Rs 5,00,000 cheque for its exceptional contribution towards the sport.
Six awards named after players who represented India in the past included, the Jugraj Singh Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Men – Under 21) awarded to Harmanpreet Singh with a cash prize of Rs 10,00,000, Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Women – Under 21) to Namita Toppo with Rs 10,00,000. Besides a cash prize of Rs 5,00,000, Baljit Singh Award for Goalkeeper of the Year awarded to PR Sreejesh, Pargat Singh Award for Defender of the Year to Deepika, Ajit Pal Singh Award for Midfielder of the Year given to Manpreet Singh and Dhanraj Pillay Award for Forward of the Year awarded to Akashdeep Singh for showcasing their efforts to continue upholding a healthy sports culture in the nation.
List of Awards for the ‘Hockey India Annual Awards’ –
Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award – Balbir Singh Sr
Dhruv Batra Award for Player of the Year (Men) –Birendra Lakra
Dhruv Batra Award for Player of the Year (Women) –Vandana Katariya
Jugraj Singh Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Men – Under 21) –Harmanpreet Singh
Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Women – Under 21) –Namita Toppo
Baljit Singh Award for Goalkeeper of the Year – PR Sreejesh
Pargat Singh Award for Defender of the Year – Deepika
Ajit Pal Singh Award Midfielder of the Year – Manpreet Singh
Dhanraj Pillay Award for Forward of the Year – Akashdeep Singh
Jaman Lal Sharma Award for Invaluable Contribution – Harendra Singh
Hockey India President Award for Outstanding Achievement – One Thousand Hockey Legs( K Arumugam)