At a spectacular ceremony, midfielder Hardik Singh and goalie Savita Punia received the men’s and women’s Indian ‘Hockey Player of the Year’ awards respectively. At the fifth Hockey India Annual Awards, the 24-year-old Hardik Singh defeated his illustrious senior colleagues, including Manpreet Singh and Harmanpreet Singh, to win the prized award for 2022 named after hockey icon Balbir Singh senior. In order to secure a spot in the FIH Women’s Pro League, Savita had guided India to victory in the FIH Women’s Nation’s Cup in December last year. Together with a trophy, Hardik and Savita received Rs 25 lakh a piece. Around Rs 2.7 crore was awarded in prizes overall.