New Delhi, Apr 1: Star Indian midfielders Hardik Singh and Salima Tete were on Sunday conferred with the Player of the Year awards in men and women categories respectively during the sixth Hockey India Annual Awards here.India vice-captain Hardik also bagged Ajit Pal Singh Award for Midfielder of the Year, which carries a prize purse of Rs 5 lakh.
India captain Harmanpreet Singh won the Pargat Singh Award for Defender of the Year and took home Rs 5 lakh, while veteran custodian PR Sreejesh was honoured with the Baljit Singh Award for Goalkeeper of the Year.
Dhanraj Pillay Award for Forward of the Year went to young striker Abhishek. Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Women, Under-21) was bagged by Deepika Soreng, while the recognition in the men’s division, which is in the name of former India drag-flicker Jugraj Singh, went to Araijeet Singh Hundal. Both the awards carry a prize money of Rs 10 lakh each.
The final award of the day, the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award, which carries a prize money of Rs 30 lakh, was won by his son, Ashok Kumar.
This year, the total prize pool was Rs 7.56 crore.
”I guess the responsibility increases when you win any individual award but this is our profession,” Hardik told PTI.
”We live hockey for 300 days in a year and it is because of achieving these feats when some individual player gets such accolades, he or she should know that the entire team is trusting him or her. ”As an individual I am very happy that I am doing well but our main focus is on the team because hockey is a team game.” Salima said the recognition will inspire her to earn more laurels for the country.