Muscat – The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has announced that the winners of the FIH Hockey Stars Awards will be revealed at the FIH Centennial Gala taking place on November 8 in Muscat, on the occasion of the 49th FIH Statutory Congress.

All winners – FIH Players, Goalkeepers, Rising Stars, Coaches and Umpires of the Year – have been invited to join the ceremony in person. The event will be live streamed on the FIH YouTube channel.

Indian goalkeeper PR Sreejesh and defender Harmanpreet Singh, who were a part of the Indian men’s hockey team that won the bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, are in the fray to win accolades.

 Sreejesh, who announced his retirement after India won a bronze medal at Paris 2024 last month, is one of the five nominees for the Goalkeeper of the Year award in men’s hockey.

The 36-year-old Sreejesh, who made his international debut in 2006, has won several titles with the Indian men’s hockey team. He has bagged two Olympic bronze medals, two Asian Games gold medals, two Commonwealth Games silver medals and four Asian Champions Trophy titles in his illustrious career.

At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Sreejesh was the hero in India’s shootout win against Great Britain in the quarter-finals while also excelling in the bronze medal match against Spain.

The voting process for the FIH players, goalkeepers and rising stars closed last week. The nominees are:

FIH Player of the Year Award:

Women: Gu Bingfeng (CHN), Yibbi Jansen (NED), Nike Lorenz (GER), Stéphanie Vanden Borre (BEL), Xan de Waard (NED)

Men: Thierry Brinkman (NED), Joep de Mol (NED), Hannes Müller (GER), Harmanpreet Singh (IND), Zach Wallace (ENG)

FIH Goalkeeper of the Year Award:

Women: Cristina Cosentino (ARG), Aisling D’Hooghe (BEL), Nathalie Kubalski (GER), Anne Veenendaal (NED), Ye Jiao (CHN)

Men: Pirmin Blaak (NED), Luis Calzado (ESP), Jean-Paul Danneberg (GER), Tomás Santiago (ARG), PR Sreejesh (IND)

FIH Rising Star of the Year Award:

Women: Claire Colwill (AUS), Zoe Díaz (ARG), Tan Jinzhuang (CHN), Emily White (BEL), Linnea Weidemann (GER)

Men: Bautista Capurro (ARG), Bruno Font (ESP), Sufyan Khan (PAK), Michel Struthoff (GER), Arno Van Dessel (BEL)

The votes of the Expert Panel count for 40 per cent of the overall result. Those from National Associations – represented by their respective national teams’ captains and coaches – count for a further 20 per cent. The fans and other players (20 per cent) as well as the media (20 per cent) make the remaining 40 per cent.