Indian defender Harmanpreet Singh was named the FIH’s Player of the Year in the men’s category for the second time in a row here on Friday. Harmanpreet is the fourth player in the men’s category to win the Player of the Year award in consecutive years, joining the elite list of Teuen de Nouzier of the Netherlands, Jamie Dwyer of Australia and Arthur Van Doren of Belgium. FIH said in a statement, “Harmanpreet is a modern-day hockey superstar. He is a brilliant defender with the ability to reach the right place at the right time to take down the opponent. ,
“His ‘dribbling’ ability is superb. He also scores a lot of goals. He has now been voted the FIH’s Player of the Year for the second year in a row. Harmanpreet (26 years) got a total of 29.4 points, followed by Thierry Brinkman’s 23.6 and Tom Boon’s 23.4. Indian vice-captain Harmanpreet has scored 18 goals in 16 matches including two hat-tricks in the FIH Hockey Pro League 2021-22. With these 18 goals, he remained the highest goalscorer for India at the end of the season and also holds the record for most goals scored in a single season of Pro League.
Harmanpreet was in fine form at the Asian Champions Trophy in Dhaka last year, scoring eight goals in six matches, including a goal in each match, to help India finish on the podium. He also played a key role for the silver medal winning Indian team at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. In the women’s category, Felice Albers (22 years) of the Netherlands was named the FIH’s Player of the Year. She also became the youngest player after Germany’s Natasha Keller (1999) to win the FIH Best Player Award in the women’s category. Albers has a total of 29.1 points, overtaking Maria Granato (26.9 points). Augustina Gorgelani finished third with 16.4 points.
