New Delhi, March 27 (NationPress) International hockey stars Navneet Kaur and Hardik Singh were awarded the prestigious title of Players of the Year. Meanwhile, former Indian captain Zafar Iqbal, a vital member of the 1980 Olympic gold medal-winning squad, was recognized with the Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award during the 8th Annual Hockey India Awards held in New Delhi on Friday.

The event was attended by notable dignitaries, including Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of Labour and Employment, and Raksha Khadse, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports from the Government of India. The ceremony also featured Olympians such as 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.

The award presenters 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 the achievements of Indian hockey.

Navneet Kaur and Hardik Singh received the coveted Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of the Year 2025 (INR 20 lakh each) in their respective categories. Zafar Iqbal, celebrated for his key role in India’s gold medal victory at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, also has two silver medals from the Asian Games in 1978 and 1982, along with a bronze at the Champions Trophy in 1982. He was awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award (INR 25 lakh).

Earlier in the day, Raghu Prasad RV was honored as the FIH Umpire of the Year for 2025, while Ishika was acknowledged for her debut goal against Uruguay during the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifiers in Hyderabad. Deepika received the Poligras Magic Skill Award, and Abhishek was named Player of the Tournament at the Asia Cup Rajgir, Bihar 2025.

Udita was recognized as Player of the Tournament at the Women’s Asia Cup Hangzhou, China 2025, while Navneet Kaur was also honored for her performance 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 awarded INR 10 lakh each for their outstanding performances at the 15th Hockey India National Championships 2025, including 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 2025 Asia Cup at Rajgir was honored, with each player receiving INR 3 lakh and support staff INR 1.5 lakh. The bronze medal-winning Indian junior men’s hockey team from the FIH Men’s Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025 were also recognized, with players receiving INR 5 lakh each and support staff receiving INR 2.5 lakh each.

Both the Indian men's and women's hockey teams received incentives for every international match won, with the men's team earning INR 1.38 crore and the women's 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 was honored with the Hockey India Ajit Pal Singh Award for Midfielder of the Year 2025, and Sukhjeet Singh received the Hockey India Dhanraj Pillay Award for Forward of the Year 2025. Each of these winners took home a cash prize of INR 5 lakh.

Among the rising stars, Prince Deep Singh won the Hockey India Jugraj Singh Award for Upcoming Player of the Year 2025 (Men – Under 21), while Sakshi Rana received the Hockey India Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year 2025 (Women – Under 21). Both young talents were awarded INR 10 lakh.

In the officials’ category, the Hockey India President Award for Umpire/Umpire Manager of the Year 2025 (INR 2.5 lakh) went to Sourabh Singh Rajput, while Biswaranjan Sarangi was honored with the Hockey India President Award for Technical Official of the Year 2025 (INR 2.5 lakh).

Hockey Jharkhand was recognized as the Best Member Unit of the Year 2025 (INR 2.5 lakh) for its dedication to hockey development in the region.

The Hockey India President Award for Outstanding Achievement 2025 (INR 5 lakh) was awarded to Sardar Sarpal Singh from Roundglass Punjab Hockey Academy, and the Hockey India Jaman Lal Sharma Award for Invaluable Contribution 2025 (INR 5 lakh) was given to Manoj Konbegi.

Significant individual milestones were also acknowledged during the ceremony. Manpreet Singh was recognized for completing 400 international caps and received INR 4 lakh. Harmanpreet Singh was awarded INR 2.5 lakh for achieving 250 international caps. Navneet Kaur and Nikki Pradhan both received INR 2 lakh each for reaching 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, while Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, and Dilpreet Singh received INR 1 lakh each for reaching 100 international caps.

During the ceremony, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya emphasized the importance of sports in propelling the nation forward, citing India’s ambition to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and the Olympic Games in 2036. He expressed pride in honoring players who have brought glory to India, stating, “Sports plays 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, highlighted that hockey is vital to India's history and future, stating, “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.”

In reaction to her recognition, Navneet Kaur expressed her gratitude, stating, “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.”

Hardik Singh, who won the Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for the third time, mentioned, “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 shared his appreciation for the recognition, stating, “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 2025

INR 5,00,000 – Hockey India Baljit Singh Award for Goalkeeper of the Year

Winner: Bichu Devi Kharibam

INR 5,00,000 – Hockey India Pargat Singh Award for Defender of the Year

Winner: Sanjay

INR 5,00,000 – Hockey India Ajit Pal Singh Award for Midfielder of the Year

Winner: Sumit

INR 5,00,000 – Hockey India Dhanraj Pillay Award for Forward of the Year

Winner: Sukhjeet Singh

INR 10,00,000 – Hockey India Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Women – Under 21)

Winner: Sakshi Rana

INR 10,00,000 – Hockey India Jugraj Singh Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Men – Under 21)

Winner: Prince Deep Singh

INR 20,00,000 – Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of the Year (Women)

Winner: Navneet Kaur

INR 20,00,000 – Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of the Year (Men)

Winner: Hardik Singh

INR 25,00,000 - Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award

Winner: Zafar Iqbal