New Delhi [India], March 27 (ANI): The Hockey India 8th Annual Awards celebrated the finest performers and contributors to Indian hockey over the past year, bringing together players, officials, and Member Units for a gathering that recognised excellence across the sport, on Friday.According to a press release from Hockey India, the ceremony was graced by several distinguished dignitaries, including Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India and Raksha Khadse, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India.Also present at the event were Olympians Harbinder Singh, Aslam Sher Khan, Zafar Iqbal, Vineet Kumar, M P Singh, Jagbir Singh, Mir Ranjan Negi, Pritam Rani Siwach, Sita Mehta, Mamta Kharb, and Rani. Meanwhile, Award presenters for the evening included Jugraj Singh, Asunta Lakra, Baljit Singh, Pargat Singh, Ajit Pal Singh, and Saroj Sharma, who joined players, officials, and Member Unit representatives to celebrate Indian hockey’s finest.Navneet Kaur and Hardik Singh were honoured with the coveted Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of the Year 2025 (INR 20 lakh each) in the men’s and women’s categories, respectively. Zafar Iqbal, who played an integral part in India’s Gold Medal win at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games and also won two Silver medals at the Asian Games in 1978 and 1982, along with a Bronze medal at the Champions Trophy in 1982, received the Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award (INR 25 lakh).Earlier in the day, Raghu Prasad RV was honoured for being named the FIH Umpire of the Year for 2025, while Ishika was recognised for scoring a goal on her debut against Uruguay during the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifiers in Hyderabad, Telangana. Deepika was recognised for winning the Poligras Magic Skill Award, while Abhishek was honoured for being named Player of the Tournament at the Hero Asia Cup Rajgir, Bihar 2025.Udita was recognised for being named Player of the Tournament at the Women’s Asia Cup Hangzhou, China 2025, while Navneet Kaur was honoured for being named Player of the Tournament at the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifiers in Hyderabad. All awardees in the Individual Achievement category received INR 1 lakh each.Seven Member Units were also awarded INR 10 lakh each for their performances at the 15th Hockey India National Championships in 2025. The winners included Hockey Jharkhand, Hockey Haryana, Hockey Mizoram, Hockey Punjab, Hockey Madhya Pradesh, Hockey Association of Odisha, and Hockey Uttar Pradesh.The gold medal-winning Men’s Hockey Team from the Hero Asia Cup Rajgir, Bihar 2025 were felicitated during the ceremony, with each player receiving INR 3 lakh and the support staff receiving INR 1.5 lakh each. The bronze medal-winning Indian Junior Men’s Hockey Team from the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025 were also honoured, with players receiving INR 5 lakh each and support staff receiving INR 2.5 lakh each.Both the Indian Men’s Hockey Team and the Indian Women’s Hockey Team received incentives for every international match won, with the Indian Men’s Hockey Team receiving INR 1.38 Cr and the Indian Women’s Hockey Team receiving INR 69 lakh.The Hockey India Baljit Singh Award for Goalkeeper of the Year 2025 was awarded to Bichu Devi Kharibam, while Sanjay received the Hockey India Pargat Singh Award for Defender of the Year 2025. Sumit won the Hockey India Ajit Pal Singh Award for Midfielder of the Year 2025, while the Hockey India Dhanraj Pillay Award for Forward of the Year 2025 was awarded to Sukhjeet Singh. Each took home a cash award of INR 5 lakh.Among the emerging talents, Prince Deep Singh won the Hockey India Jugraj Singh Award for Upcoming Player of the Year 2025 (Men – Under 21), while Sakshi Rana secured the Hockey India Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year 2025 (Women – Under 21). Both players received INR 10 lakh.In the officials’ category, the Hockey India President Award for Umpire/Umpire Manager of the Year 2025 (INR 2.5 lakh) was awarded to Sourabh Singh Rajput, while Biswaranjan Sarangi received the Hockey India President Award for Technical Official of the Year 2025 (INR 2.5 lakh).Hockey Jharkhand was awarded Best Member Unit of the Year 2025 (INR 2.5 lakh) for its efforts towards the development of hockey in the region.The Hockey India President Award for Outstanding Achievement 2025 (INR 5 lakh) was presented to Shri Sardar Sarpal Singh from Roundglass Punjab Hockey Academy, while the Hockey India Jaman Lal Sharma Award for Invaluable Contribution 2025 (INR 5 lakh) was awarded to Manoj Konbegi.Landmark individual milestones achieved in the service of the nation were also recognised during the ceremony. Manpreet Singh led the list after completing 400 international caps and received INR 4 lakh. Harmanpreet Singh received INR 2.5 lakh for reaching 250 international caps. Navneet Kaur and Nikki Pradhan received INR 2 lakh each for completing 200 international caps. Hardik Singh, Krishan Bahadur Pathak, Nilakanta Sharma, Jarmanpreet Singh, and Salima Tete were awarded INR 1.5 lakh each for completing 150 international caps. Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, and Dilpreet Singh received INR 1 lakh each for completing 100 international caps.Speaking on the occasion, Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of Labour and Employment, Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, said, “Sports play an integral role in driving the country forward and hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games is India’s significant step in making its mark on the global stage, as we strive to host the Olympic Games in 2036 as well. Indian Hockey has a strong legacy of 100 years, and has given us eight Olympic medals. So, I am very happy to be here on stage to give honorary awards to players who have made India proud. I’d like to congratulate all the nominees and wish them success in the future.”Raksha Khadse, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, said, “Hockey has been an integral part of our nation’s history. As we mark 100 years of Indian hockey, we are entering a new era, with our teams performing strongly on the global stage. In the vision of a Viksit Bharat, sports will play a key role in driving us forward, supported by the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. With the willingness to work in the right direction and a successful collaboration between the corporate sector and state governments, we can take Indian hockey to new heights. I congratulate all the players and wish you all continued success.”Reacting to her win, Navneet Kaur said, “It’s a great honour for me to receive this award, and I’m grateful to Hockey India for this prestigious recognition. I want to thank my teammates for their constant belief in me – it’s their support that has made this possible. This award means even more to me after our World Cup Qualifiers success, and I hope we can collectively achieve more for India.”Winning his third Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of the Year (Men) Award, Hardik Singh said, “Receiving this award is the highest honour for any Indian hockey player, and I’m grateful to Hockey India for this recognition. This award has only been possible because of the support of my family, teammates and coaches who pushed me through tough moments, especially during the Asia Cup triumph. I’m thankful for everyone’s support and motivated to keep fighting for silverware with my team.”Zafar Iqbal said, “I am thankful to Hockey India that you have recognised this small player with such a big award. I’m delighted to be sharing this moment with greats such as Ajit Pal Singh, MP Singh, Aslam Sher Khan, and Dilip Tirkey. My wishes are always with the Indian team, and I want to credit Hockey India for the fantastic job they are doing to take our sport forward.”Key Winners – Hockey India 8th Annual Awards 2025INR 5,00,000 – Hockey India Baljit Singh Award for Goalkeeper of the YearWinner: Bichu Devi KharibamINR 5,00,000 – Hockey India Pargat Singh Award for Defender of the YearWinner: SanjayINR 5,00,000 – Hockey India Ajit Pal Singh Award for Midfielder of the YearWinner: SumitINR 5,00,000 – Hockey India Dhanraj Pillay Award for Forward of the YearWinner: Sukhjeet SinghINR 10,00,000 – Hockey India Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Women – Under 21)Winner: Sakshi RanaINR 10,00,000 – Hockey India Jugraj Singh Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Men – Under 21)Winner: Prince Deep SinghINR 20,00,000 – Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of the Year (Women)Winner: Navneet KaurINR 20,00,000 – Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of the Year (Men)Winner: Hardik SinghINR 25,00,000 – Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement AwardWinner: Zafar Iqbal. 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