The Hockey India Awards 2023 were held in New Delhi on March 31, 2024 to celebrate the outstanding Indian hockey players from the previous calendar year. The event saw several players being recognized for their exceptional performances and contributions to the sport.
Player of the Year Awards
Mens Player of the Year: Hardik Singh, the vice-captain of the Indian mens team, was named the Player of the Year. He was part of the bronze medal-winning team at the Tokyo 2023 Olympics and the gold medal-winning team at the Asian Games 2023.
Womens Player of the Year: Salima Tete, an Olympian, was awarded the Player of the Year for her role in the Indian womens team that won the bronze medal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou last year.
Other Notable Awards
Hockey India Lifetime Achievement Award: Ashok Kumar, a Munich 1972 Olympic bronze medallist, was honoured with the Hockey India Lifetime Achievement Award, named after his father Dhyan Chand, for his contribution to the sport.
Goalkeeper of the Year: PR Sreejesh was felicitated with the prestigious Hockey India Baljit Singh Award for Goalkeeper of the Year.
Defender of the Year: Harmanpreet Singh won the Hockey India Pargat Singh Award for Defender of the Year.
Midfielder of the Year: Hardik Singh also won the Hockey India Ajit Pal Singh Award for Midfielder of the Year.
Forward of the Year: Abhishek was awarded the Hockey India Dhanraj Pillay Award for Forward of the Year.
Milestones and Team Felicitations
PR Sreejesh was presented with a trophy for earning his 300th international cap.
Manpreet Singh was celebrated for completing 350 international caps for the Indian mens hockey team.
Savita Punia and Harmanpreet Singh were recognized for reaching the 250 and 200 international caps milestones for India, respectively.
The Hangzhou Asian Games gold-medal-winning Indian mens team and the bronze-medal winning Indian womens hockey team were also felicitated at the event.
Upcoming Player Awards
Womens Upcoming Player of the Year (Under 21): Deepika Soreng was awarded the Hockey India Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Women – Under 21).
Mens Upcoming Player of the Year (Under 21): Araijeet Singh Hundal received the Hockey India Jugraj Singh Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Men – Under 21).
About Hockey India
Hockey India, the governing body responsible for the sport of field hockey in India, was established in May 2009 after the merger of the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and the Indian Women’s Hockey Federation (IWHF). It is recognized by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), playing a pivotal role in organizing national field hockey tournaments and selecting Indian teams for international competitions.
