FIH Star Awards: Harman, Sreejesh, Savita in running to retain award; Mumtaz, Sanjay shortlisted in Rising Stars category

Lausanne:  Winners in 2021, India’s Harmanpreet Singh, PR Sreejesh and Savita Punia have been shortlisted while young forward Mumtaz Khan and Sanjay, members of India’s junior teams, have been shortlisted for Rising Star category of the FIH Hockey Stars Awards 2021-22.

The two coaches — Janneke Schopman of the Indian women’s team and Graham Reid of the men’s team, also a winner in 2021 — have also been shortlisted for the Women’s and Men’s Coach of the Year Award.

Harmanpreet Singh, who won the Player of the Year Award in 2021, has been shortlisted again along with Arthur de Sloover of Belgium, Niklas Wellen of Germany, Thierry Brinkman of the Netherlands and Tom Boon of Belgium.

In the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year Award India’s Savita Punia is again in the running after winning it last year and will be contending with Josine Koning of the Netherlands, Belén Succi of Argentina, Jocelyn Bartram of Australia and Phumelela Mbande of South Africa.

Sreejesh will also be hoping to retain the FIH Goalkeeper of the Year Award he won in 2021 and is expected to face a tough challenge from Loic van Doren — the top custodian of World and Olympic champion Belgium, seasoned Pirmin Blaak of the Netherlands, Arthur Thieffry of France and Alexander Stadler of Germany.

The mercurial Mumtaz Khan from Lucknow, who was the top scorer for India in the FIH Junior Women’s World Cup in South Africa earlier this year, has been nominated for the Women’s FIH Rising Star and will be in contention along with youngsters like Charlottee Englebert of Belgium, Luna Fokke of the Netherlands, Jip Dicke (NED) and Amy Lawton of Australia.

Indian women’s team coach Schopman, whose predecessor Sjoerd Marijne won the award in 2021, will be taking on Jamilon Mulders, the German coach of the Netherlands team, Australian team’s coach Katrina Powell, Raoul Ehren, the Dutch coach of Team Belgium, Adrian Lock, the English coach of the Spanish national team.

Reid, the Australian coach of the Indian men’s hockey team, will take on Jeroen Delmee, coach of the Netherlands’ men’s team, Michel van den Heuvel, the Dutch coach of Team Belgium, Garreth Ewing, coach of South Africa and Frederic Soyez, the coach of the France team.

The only category in which an Indian player was not shortlisted is the FIH Women’s Player of the Year Award as Felice Albers (NED), María José Granatto (ARG), Frédérique Matla (NED), Agustina Gorzelany (ARG) and Georgina Oliva (ESP) will battle it out for the award.

Additionally, awards for the Best Umpire of the Year, in men’s and women’s categories will be given, which will be selected by the FIH Officials Committee.

The final shortlist was established solely by an Expert Group composed of players, former players, coaches and officials selected by each of their Continental Federations.

Before establishing the final shortlist, the Expert Group received a long list of players and coaches based on performance data registered during the concerned period; of course, the Group had the opportunity to amend or add to the list as they wished.

The expert group considered the FIH Hockey Pro League, Hockey Women’s World Cup, Junior World Cups and Continental Championships.

The new voting process includes an Expert Group, whose votes will count for 40% of the overall result. Votes from National Associations, represented by their respective national teams’ captains and coaches, will count for a further 20%. The fans and other players (20 per cent) as well as the media (20 per cent) will make the remaining 40 per cent.

The voting process will remain open till September 30 at midnight CEST, with the winners for all categories being announced in early October 2022.

–IANS