New Delhi: National team midfielders Hardik Singh and Salima Tete were honoured with the Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of The Year 2023 in men’s and women’s categories, respectively, at the Hockey India Annual Awards held in the national capital on Sunday. Hardik and Salima received a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh along with a trophy each.
“It is a matter of great pride for me to win the prestigious award. This is truly reflective of the hard work and the commitment that our team displayed over the past year. I am thankful to each and every one for their support and I will continue to work even harder in the coming year to justify the honour.”,” said Hardik.
Meanwhile, Salima Tete, on her win, said, “I wish to thank my teammates, coaches, and the support staff for showcasing their faith in me. It is a matter of great pride for me every time I get to wear the Indian jersey and step out on the field to represent the nation. This award will further motivate me to continue to do even better each day so I can continue to make the country proud.”
The 1975 World Cup winner Ashok Kumar won the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award named after his father Major Dhyan Chand.
Ace goalie P.R. Sreejesh was honoured with the Baljit Singh Award for Goalkeeper of the Year, receiving a cheque of Rs 5,00,000 along with a trophy. For his consistent performances throughout the year, Harmanpreet Singh won the Pargat Singh Award for Defender of the Year, earning himself a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh along with a trophy.
Midfielder Hardik also won the Ajit Pal Singh Award for Midfielder of the Year. while Abhishek won the prestigious Dhanraj Pillay Award for Forward of the Year, both earning themselves INR 5 lakh and a trophy each. Forward Deepika Soreng bagged the Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year in the Women – Under 21 category while Araijeet Singh Hundal bagged the Jugraj Singh Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Men – Under 21).
The award ceremony started with the Milestone Awards 2023 with Vivek Sagar Prasad, Hardik Singh, Nilakanta Sharma, Sumit, Krishan Bahadur Pathak, Udita, Salima Tete, and Gurjant Singh winning a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh and a trophy each for completing 100 international caps. Nikki Pradhan, Amit Rohidas, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, and Neha were also presented with Rs 1.5 lakh and a trophy each for completing 150 international caps. IANS
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