After the success for both the Indian hockey team’s at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games where men’s team won a medal at the multi sport event after nearly 5 decades, while women proved to be the dark horses and finished at fourth position, missing bronze after a hard fought battle against Great Britain.
The stupendous performance at Tokyo 2020 was enough for the Indian team to swipe all the awards at the FIH Hockey Stars Awards 2020-21. Full back and penalty corner specialist Gurjit Kaur was awarded the best female player of the year award while vice captain and another fullback- Harmanpeet Singh was named the best male player of the year award.
Savita Punia was instrumental in saving some goals for India at Tokyo and she wins the best female goalkeeper of the year award while wall of India, PR Sreejesh won the best male goalkeeper of the year award. The Kerala man saved in the last few moments in the bronze medal against Germany to give India a famous win and a chance to stand at podium after 49 years at Tokyo.
Best Rising star awards were also swapped by Indians as Sharmila Devi and midfielder Vivek Sagar Prasad bagged the honors in female and male category respectively.
Women’s coach Sjoerd Marijne was instrumental for the rise of Indian women’s hockey team and rightfully he won the best women’s team coach of the year. Indian men’s hockey team was starving for a medal at Olympics and the dream was fulfilled under the coaching of Graham Reid and the Aussie coach was awarded with the best men’s team coach of the year.
Gurjit Kaur (Best Player, Women), Harmanpreet Singh (Best Player, Men)
Savita (Best Goalkeeper, Women), PR Sreejesh (Best Goalkeeper, Men)
Sharmila Devi (Best Rising Star, Women) and Vivek Prasad (Best Rising Star, Men)
Sjoerd Marijne (Best women’s team coach of the year) Graham Reid (Best men’s team coach of the year)
2020-21 FIH #HockeyStarsAwards results announced!
Olympic Success Wave continues for India with @TheHockeyIndia winning big.
A record number of almost 300’000 fans casted their votes for this year’s Awards.
CONGRATULATIONS to all winners and nominees!
— International Hockey Federation (@FIH_Hockey) October 6, 2021
