NEW DELHI: Australia’s Mark Knowles has been named as the men’s International Player of the Year for 2014. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced the winners of the FIH 2014 Player of the Year Awards on Thursday.

The awards comprised six categories in the search for the very best players in the world during 2014. A shortlist was compiled for each category by an expert panel of hockey professionals.

There was a massive response as fans, players and other stakeholders all cast their votes.

A talented and solid defender, Australia captain, Mark who was named player of the tournament at the 2014 Hockey World Cup, is a former FIH Young Player of the Year winner.

His international career began in 2004 and since then, he has accumulated Olympic gold and bronze medals, four Champions Trophy titles, three Commonwealth Games gold medals and three World Cup wins.

Although Mark emerged top of the pile for the senior award, there was close competition from England’s Ashley Jackson, teammate Eddie Ockenden, and the two Netherlands players, Robbert Kemperman and Robert van der Horst who all had outstanding years.

Dutch superstar Ellen Hoog has been unveiled as the women’s International Player of the Year for 2014.

Versatile midfielder, Ellen made her international debut at the age of 17, and has two Olympic gold medals, two World Cups wins and a Hockey World League title to her name, as well as numerous other championships and awards. Like Mark, she was also player of the tournament at the 2014 Hockey World Cup.

Ellen faced tough competition in the women’s category, in which she was shortlisted alongside team-mate and previous double winner of the title, Maartje Paumen and eight time title winner Luciana Aymar, who retired after leading Argentina to victory in the 2014 Champions Trophy.

These three were joined on the shortlist by another player from the World Cup winning Netherlands team, Lidewij Welten and by Team USA Captain Lauren Crandall, in what has been a breakthrough year for her.

Credited with single-handedly destroying New Zealand at the World Cup, Gonazlo Peillat has scored some fantastic goals throughout the year and is a deserving winner of the 2014 Rising Star Award. Gonazlo was challenged by a shortlist that included the 2013 winner, Christopher Ruhr, Australia’s Jeremy Hayward, India’s Akashdeep Singh and Belgium’s Arthur Van Doren.

Florencia, who was on the shortlist for the 2013 Award, came up trumps in 2014 following fabulous displays throughout the year, in particular in front of her home crowd as Argentina won the Champions Trophy.

Florencia saw off strong challenges from four of the most exciting young players in the women’s game, including the Netherlands Xan de Waard, previous winner Australia’s Anna Flanagan, previous nominee, India’s Rani and China’s Yang Peng.