Hockey India Awards 2023: Hardik Singh and Salima Tete win Balbir Singh Award
Hockey India Awards 2023: The Hockey India Awards 2023, which took place in New Delhi on March 31, 2024, aimed to celebrate the exceptional Indian hockey players from the previous year. The event recognized several players for their outstanding performances and significant contributions to the sport.
Hockey India Awards 2023
Hockey India
Hockey India is the national governing body for the sport of field hockey in India. It was formed in 2009 after the merger of the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and the Indian Women’s Hockey Federation (IWHF) to streamline and administer the management of hockey in the country. Recognized by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), responsible for organizing and overseeing various national and international hockey events, including domestic leagues, national championships, and participation in international tournaments.
Hockey India Awards 2023 Reception
| Award | Recipient | Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| Vice-captain of the Indian men’s team, part of the bronze medal-winning team at the Tokyo 2023 Olympics and the gold medal-winning team at the Asian Games 2023. | Hardik Singh | Vice-captain of the Indian men’s team, part of the bronze medal-winning team at Tokyo 2023 Olympics and the gold medal-winning team at the Asian Games 2023. |
| Womens Player of the Year | Salima Tete | Olympian, played a crucial role in the Indian women’s team that won the bronze medal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou in the previous year. |
| Hockey India Lifetime Achievement Award | Ashok Kumar | Honored for his contribution to the sport, a Munich 1972 Olympic bronze medallist. The award is named after his father Dhyan Chand. |
| Goalkeeper of the Year | PR Sreejesh | Awarded 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 | Awarded the Hockey India Dhanraj Pillay Award for Forward of the Year. |
| Player Milestones | PR Sreejesh, Manpreet Singh, Savita Punia, Harmanpreet Singh | Deepika Soreng was awarded the Hockey India Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Women – Under 21), Araijeet Singh Hundal received the Hockey India Jugraj Singh Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Men – Under 21). |
| Team Felicitations | Indian men’s and women’s teams | The Hangzhou Asian Games gold medal-winning Indian men’s team and the bronze medal-winning Indian women’s hockey team were felicitated at the event. |
| Upcoming Player Awards | Deepika Soreng, Araijeet Singh Hundal | Men Player of the Year |
