The ace hockey star was quick to add how the award would act as a source of motivation for him for the forthcoming FIH Hockey Pro League matches as well as the Tokyo Olympics.
Indian men's hockey captain Manpreet Singh. (Photo: Twitter/@TheHockeyIndia)
After winning the FIH Player of the Year 2019, Indian men’s hockey skipper Manpreet Singh has dedicated the honour to his late father.
“I would like to thank my family and friends for always supporting me. They have been motivating me throughout my career. And of course, I cannot forget my father, if he was still here, he would’ve been really proud of me. This award is for all the support and strength that he always gave me,” the 27-year-old said as quoted by news agency IANS.
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The ace hockey star was quick to add how the award would act as a source of motivation for him for the forthcoming FIH Hockey Pro League matches as well as the Tokyo Olympics.
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“It’s a really proud moment for me to have won the FIH Player of the Year 2019 Award. It gives me huge confidence for all the upcoming FIH Hockey Pro League matches, as well as for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. It also feels amazing to have become the first Indian ever to win this prize, but with this recognition, there also comes a big responsibility to keep helping my team to do well,” he said.
In addition to Manpreet, Vivek Sagar Prasad and Lalremsiami also won their FIH Rising Star of the Year awards respectively earlier in the month. The Indian men’s skipper suggested how their awards show the improvement made by the Indian men’s and women’s hockey team.
“It is also a very positive thing for both our teams with Vivek and Lalremsiami also having won their respective FIH Rising Star of the Year Awards. It reflects well on how our teams are improving, and gives us the confidence in doing well in future events and tournaments,” the 27-year-old concluded.
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