Hockey India Honors Legends and Stars at 7th Annual Awards 2024

New Delhi: The Hockey India 7th Annual Awards 2024 celebrated a century of Indian hockey and marked the golden jubilee of India’s historic 1975 World Cup victory, bringing together the country’s greatest hockey talents and dignitaries in a grand ceremony in New Delhi.

This year’s event was particularly special as Hockey India felicitated the 1975 World Cup-winning team with the Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award, along with a cash prize of ₹50 lakh, recognizing their unmatched contribution to the sport. The ceremony featured a record prize pool of ₹12 crore, the highest in the history of Indian hockey awards.

Among the evening’s biggest honors, Savita and Harmanpreet Singh were named winners of the prestigious Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of the Year 2024 in the Women’s and Men’s categories, respectively.

The awards ceremony began with a special tribute to India’s bronze medal-winning men’s hockey team at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The players were honored with a cash award of ₹15 lakh each, while alternate players received ₹5 lakh each, and support staff were awarded ₹7.5 lakh each for their contribution.

The event also recognized the top-performing states in the 14th Hockey India National Championships 2024, with Hockey Haryana, Hockey Jharkhand, Hockey Association of Odisha, Hockey Madhya Pradesh, Hockey Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh Hockey, and Hockey Punjab receiving ₹10 lakh each for their outstanding performances.

Additionally, the Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu was named Best Member Unit of the Year 2024 for launching India’s first-ever statewide school hockey league, which involved over 5,500 players from 306 schools across 8 districts.

Both the Indian Men’s and Women’s Hockey Teams were awarded a combined ₹3.69 crore in incentives, including rewards for each international match won.

Harmanpreet Singh received ₹10 lakh for winning FIH Men’s Player of the Year 2024, while PR Sreejesh was honored with ₹5 lakh for being named FIH Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year 2024.

Young talents Deepika and Araijeet Singh Hundal were recognized for their remarkable performances at the Asian Champions Trophy and Junior Asia Cup, receiving multiple accolades.

The Milestone Awards 2024 celebrated players achieving career milestones, with stars like Jarmanpreet Singh, Shamsher Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Sumit, Amit Rohidas, and Sushila Chanu receiving cash prizes for their achievements in international caps.

Teams that clinched titles at the Men’s and Women’s Asian Champions Trophy 2024 and the Junior Asia Cup 2024 were rewarded with prizes of up to ₹3 lakh per player.

A highlight of the evening was the felicitation of the 1975 World Cup-winning team, which received the Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award. The event was graced by Leslie Fernandez, Onkar Singh,BP Govinda, Ashok Kumar, Brigadier HJS Chimni, VJ Phillips, and Brigadier Harcharan Singh, along with representatives of late legends like Surjit Singh, Shivaji Pawar, Mohinder Singh, Varinder Singh, and Michael Kindo.

Accepting the honor on behalf of his team, Ashok Kumar, son of hockey legend Dhyan Chand, reflected on the significance of the victory and the legacy it left behind.

Expressing her joy, Savita, who won her third Player of the Year Award, said, “I am truly honored to receive this award again. This recognition motivates me to keep pushing harder for my team and the country.”

Harmanpreet Singh, the Indian men’s team captain, added, “These awards are an inspiration for young players. Just as the 1975 team created history, we hope to bring the World Cup home next year.”

The Hockey India 7th Annual Awards 2024 was a night of celebration, recognizing the past, present, and future of Indian hockey while reinforcing the country’s deep-rooted passion for the sport.