Harmanpreet nominated for FIH player of year award; Sreejesh, Savita in goalkeepers’ categories

Star Indian drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh was on Tuesday named among five nominees for the Men’s Player of the Year honour while PR Sreejesh and Savita Punia figured in the shortlists for the best male and female goalkeeper for the FIH Hockey Stars Awards 2021-22.

Indian team vice-captain Harmanpreet was named along with two Belgians in Arthur de Sloover and Tom Boon, Niklas Wellen of Germany and Thierry Brinkman of the Netherlands for the FIH Men’s Player of the Year award. There is no Indian in the list of players nominated for the FIH Women’s Player of the Year award.

Harmanpreet had also won the coveted award last year when the Indian players and coaches swept all the honours after their historic Olympic Games performance in Tokyo where the men’s team won a bronze for the first time after 41 years while the women’s side lost in the bronze-medal match.

Men’s team coach Graham Reid, Sreejesh and Savita also won last year.

The sweeping of the awards by the Indians in all the five categories last year (2020-21) had led to a furore, especially from men’s Olympic champions Belgium.

Reid and Janneke Schopman were named in the respective men’s and women’s coach of the year award lists, while Mumtaz Khan and Sanjay figured in the lists for the men’s and women’s rising player of the year honour.

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) said players, coaches, media and fans can register their votes online for the nominees in the women’s and men’s categories for the best player, goalkeeper, rising star and coach of the year, starting from Tuesday (September 6) itself till September 30.

The winners for all categories will be announced in early October.

Additionally, awards for the Best Umpire of the Year, in men’s and women’s categories, will be given, which will be selected by the FIH Officials Committee.

The new voting process includes an expert group whose votes will count for 40 per cent of the overall result. Votes from national associations, represented by their respective national teams’ captains and coaches, will count for a further 20 per cent. The fans and other players (20%) as well as media (20%) will make the remaining 40%.

The final shortlist was established solely by an Expert Group comprising players, former players, coaches and officials selected by each of their Continental Federations. Before establishing the final shortlist, the Expert Group received a long list of players and coaches based on performance data registered during the concerned period.

The performance of the players in FIH Hockey Pro League, FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup, FIH Hockey Junior World Cups and Continental Championships (senior category) were considered in nominating the players.

List of Awards:

FIH Player of the Year Award:

Women: Felice Albers (NED), María José Granatto (ARG), Frédérique Matla (NED), Agustina Gorzelany (ARG), Georgina Oliva (ESP).

Men: Arthur de Sloover (BEL), Harmanpreet Singh (IND), Niklas Wellen (GER), Thierry Brinkman (NED), Tom Boon (BEL).

FIH Goalkeeper of the Year Award:

Women: Savita (IND), Josine Koning (NED), Belén Succi (ARG), Jocelyn Bartram (AUS), Phumelela Mbande (RSA).

Men: Loïc van Doren (BEL), PR Sreejesh (IND), Pirmin Blaak (NED), Arthur Thieffry (FRA), Alexander Stadler (GER).

FIH Rising Star of the Year Award:

Women: Charlotte Englebert (BEL), Luna Fokke (NED), Mumtaz Khan (IND), Jip Dicke (NED), Amy Lawton (AUS).

Men: Miles Bukkens (NED), Timothée Clément (FRA), Sanjay (IND), Pau Cunill (ESP), Rizwan Ali (PAK)

FIH Coach of the Year Award:

Women: Janneke Schopman (Team India), Jamilon Mülders (Team Netherlands), Katrina Powell (Team Australia), Raoul Ehren (Team Belgium), Adrian Lock (Team Spain).

Men: Jeroen Delmee (Team Netherlands), Michel van den Heuvel (Team Belgium), Graham Reid (Team India), Garreth Ewing (Team South Africa), Frederic Soyez (Team France).