Seasoned goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, who performed a critical function as India’s men’s crew claimed a first Olympic medal in over four a long time whilst it won bronze at final 12 months’ Olympic Games in Tokyo, has been named as The World Games Athlete of the Year for 2021.
In a global fan vote carried out on TheWorldGames.Org, Sreejesh completed properly clean on the top of the 24-strong nomination list, along with his tally of 1,27,647 votes being almost twice as many as the second one-positioned athlete, Spa’n’s Sport Climbing ace Albert Ginés Lopez, who garnered 67,428 votes.
Sreejesh becomes the second hockey player to win the award, following inside the footsteps of compatriot and India ladies’ captain Rani, who took the 2019 prize, the FIH stated in a release on Monday.
Speaking approximately the Award, the shot-stopper — who was additionally voted as FIH Goalkeeper of the Year for 2021 — stated: “I’m very honored to win this award.
First of all, a large thanks to FIH for nominating me for this award, and secondly a way to all the Indian hockey enthusiasts around the world, who voted for me.
“By getting nominated I did my part, however, the relaxation was done through the fans and hockey fanatics. So, this award is going to them, and I think they deserve this award greater than me.
It’s a huge second for Indian Hockey as properly because everybody in the hockey network, all of the hockey federations around the arena voted for me, so it is excellent to peer that assists from the hockey circle of relatives,” Sreejesh, a veteran of 244 senior worldwide suits, become quoted as announcing by the FIH.
The three-time Olympian in addition introduced, “Also, I am a person who doesn’t consider in man or woman awards, mainly while you are part of a group.
It’s no longer best the team of 33 gamers, however, you have got lots of human beings involved in the back of as nicely, there is training team of workers, there is a support group of workers, there’s a fantastic affiliation like Hockey India who’s helping you lots, there is Sports Authority of India (SAI), who’s presenting you with all of the world-magnificence centers to train, there’s Odisha Government whose unwavering assist enables the game develop and flourish and there may be India Olympic Association (IOA) as properly, who’s taking care of you absolutely well.
So, it is a collective effort of a nation to get this type of reputation.”
FIH Chief Executive Officer Thierry Weil said: “On behalf of the global hockey community, I’d like to wholeheartedly congratulate PR Sreejesh for this remarkable fulfillment.
This is first-rate popularity for him, for his team, and for hockey as a whole. We additionally make bigger our sincerest thanks to all fanatics who voted for him. Athletes are the first-rate ambassadors of our recreation and India’s goalkeeper truly is a leader in this subject too.
We look forward to seeing him in movement once more in only some days for the 0.33 edition of the FIH Hockey Pro League!”
Congratulating Sreejesh, Hockey India President Gyanendro Ningombam said, “On behalf of Hockey India, I congratulate Sreejesh for triumphing the prestigious World Games Athlete of the Year 2021 Award.
This is a very proud and unique second for India as he has become the simplest 2d Indian athlete to win this honor. I would love to thank FIH, the hockey community around the world, and of direction, all his lovers for helping him and voting him to win this award. It’s a large success for him as well as to Indian hockey.”
The World Games is a multi-sport event staged every four years by way of the International World Games Association with the assist of the International Olympic Committee. The World Games are staged over a period of 11 days, with extra than 30 sports activities in the program.
Indoor Hockey changed into featured as an invitational recreation at The World Games in 2005, which took place in Duisburg, Germany. Hockey will have a presence with sports activities demonstrations at some point of The World Games 2022, which takes location in Birmingham, the united states from July 7-17, 2022.