The FIH’s Hockey Stars awards have come under the cosh again after voting saw India land six categories.
The voting changed for 2022 after controversy overshadowed last year’s awards when India won six of the eight categories.
The new voting process included an ‘expert group’, whose votes count for 40 per cent of the overall result. Following the roll out of the winners this week, social media didn’t take too kindly to the structure, where fans also have their say.
For 2022, Dutch star Felice Albers was named best female player in the world while Indian player Harmanpreet Singh claimed the men’s award.
Janneke Schopman of Netherlands and Graham Reid of Australia – who both coach India women and men respectively – were both voted FIH coaches of the year.
Savita and PR Sreejesh then sweeped the women and men goalkeeper categories for India
Sreejesh now becomes the third goalkeeper to win back-to-back awards, while Savita is only the third athlete to win in consecutive years since the inception of the award in 2014
Mumtaz Khan, of India, and Frenchman Timothée Clément were named rising stars of the year.
At 22, Amsterdam’s Albers is the youngest winner of the player of the year award since 1999, when Germany’s Natascha Keller won the title.
Harmanpreet, who has played 155 times with 115 goals for India, said: “I must say that this award is not mine alone, even though it is an individual award, because without the help and support of my teammates, this would not have been possible in anyway at all. So, this is for the team.”
The shortlist
FIH Player of the Year Award
Women: Felice Albers (NED), María José Granatto (ARG), Frédérique Matla (NED), Agustina Gorzelany (ARG), Georgina Oliva (ESP)
Men: Arthur de Sloover (BEL), Harmanpreet Singh (IND), Niklas Wellen (GER), Thierry Brinkman (NED), Tom Boon (BEL)
FIH Goalkeeper of the Year Award
Women: Savita (IND), Josine Koning (NED), Belén Succi (ARG), Jocelyn Bartram (AUS), Phumelela Mbande (RSA)
Men: Loïc van Doren (BEL), PR Sreejesh (IND), Pirmin Blaak (NED), Arthur Thieffry (FRA), Alexander Stadler (GER)
FIH Rising Star of the Year Award
Women: Charlotte Englebert (BEL), Luna Fokke (NED), Mumtaz Khan (IND), Jip Dicke (NED), Amy Lawton (AUS)
Men: Miles Bukkens (NED), Timothée Clément (FRA), Sanjay (IND), Pau Cunill (ESP), Rizwan Ali (PAK)
FIH Coach of the Year Award
Women’s Team: Janneke Schopman (NED) Team India, Jamilon Mülders (GER) Team Netherlands, Katrina Powell (AUS) Team Australia, Raoul Ehren (NED) Team Belgium, Adrian Lock (ENG)
Team Spain
Men’s Team: Jeroen Delmee (NED) Team Netherlands, Michel van den Heuvel (NED) Team Belgium, Graham Reid (AUS) Team India, Garreth Ewing (RSA) Team South Africa, Frédéric Soyez (FRA) Team France
I know a bit about goalkeeping and have seen many fine displays in 2021-2022. I must profess to being a shade sceptical about the efficacy of the voting in the above Awards. Perhaps a panel of esteemed hockey journalists and commentators, who see much of the Hockey in the World, would be better placed to decide who wins these prestigious Awards. It seems to me that if “fans” are involved, Countries with enormous populations will always sweep the Board! It’s a shame that the World’s best Hockey Awards are degraded and it must be embarrassing for many of the winners under the current system. DISCUSS!
I respect Hursty as a keeper so not challenging his view or his comments as I am no expert however I think marks are weighted.
My comment is about Harmanpreet photo? Why post a blood stained photo for winner??? Can Hockey paper comment please ??