Indian hockey players Manpreet Singh and Rani Rampal bagged the Dhruv Batra Player of the Year Award 2019 for Men and Women respectively during the Hockey India 3rd Annual Awards 2019 here on Sunday.
Hockey India Dhruv Batra Player of the Year 2019 award carries prize money of INR 25 Lakhs and a trophy.
Harbinder Singh won the prestigious Hockey India Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award 2019 which carries prize money of INR 30 Lakhs and a trophy.
"I am extremely happy and humbled to be receiving this Award which carries Major Dhyan Chand's name. Hockey has always been my life, and I continue to live it each day with pride and passion. I am thankful to Hockey India and all my hockey friends for this recognition," Harbinder Singh said in a statement.
Hockey India president Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad said their national teams had a great 2019 and achieved success against some of the best teams from across the world.
"Hockey India has one clear mission, to provide the best infrastructure and environment to ensure our athletes prosper and reach their full potential. We have, over the years, worked tirelessly to achieve this, and the proof of success lies in our players and their stellar performances," said Ahmad.
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"I am happy to say our national teams have had a great 2019 which saw them achieve success against some of the best teams from across the world, and also saw them qualify for the Tokyo Olympics 2020. I would like to congratulate all the players, coaches and support staff present here today for their vision, passion, and the sheer hardwork they put in every day," he added.
Indian skipper Manpreet was given a cash award of INR 10 Lakhs for winning the FIH Men's Player of the Year 2019. Also, Vivek Sagar Prasad and Lalremsiami received a cash award of INR 5.00 Lakhs for winning the FIH Rising Star of the Year 2019 Awards in the Men's and Women's categories respectively.
India women's skipper Rampal was awarded a cash prize of INR 10 Lakhs for winning the World Games Athlete of the Year 2019.
Jugraj Singh Award for Upcoming Player of the Year 2019 (Under 21) was won by Vivek Sagar Prasad while the Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year 2019 (Under 21) was clinched by Lalremsiami. Both won a cash prize of INR 10 Lakhs and a trophy.
Mandeep Singh was named as the Dhanraj Pillay Award for Forward of the Year 2019 while Neha Goyal was named as the Ajit Pal Singh Award for Midfielder of the Year 2019. Harmanpreet Singh bagged the Pargat Singh Award for Defender of the Year 2019. All three players won a cash prize of INR 5 Lakhs besides a glittering trophy.
International Hockey Federation (FIH) president Narinder Dhruv Batra said he is really proud of the Indian Men's and Women's Hockey teams as they have been performing with consistency.
"I would like to congratulate Hockey India for their continued efforts of raising the bar for Indian Hockey to the highest of standards. Hockey has always been a very important part of India's sporting history, and I am delighted to see that the game still has a high following in our country across states and regions," Batra said.
"I am really proud of the players of the Indian Men's and Women's Hockey teams, who have consistently been performing for the country. Today is a day when we salute your hard work and efforts, and I congratulate all the winners in advance for putting in exceptional performances last year," he added.