He grew to become simply the second Indian athlete after Indian Ladies’s Hockey stalwart Rani to win this prestigious award.
This was the ninth version of the IWGA initiative that recognises and honours an athlete or a group for his or her excellent efficiency in 2021, or for his or her social dedication or significantly honest behaviour.
Congratulations to @16Sreejesh for successful the @TheWorldGames Athlete Of The 12 months 2021. The @TheHockeyIndia stopper… https://t.co/rNUZKTSFCb
— Worldwide Hockey Federation (@FIH_Hockey) 1643636093000
A complete of 24 athletes from 17 nations had been nominated for this award from their respective sports activities by their worldwide federations. The Worldwide Hockey Federation (FIH) had really helpful Sreejesh’s identify for his excellent efforts within the 12 months 2021.
The winner of this prestigious award was adjudged by means of the net voting course of and Sreejesh accrued a mammoth 1,27,647 votes to bag this award. In 2019, Rani grew to become the primary from India to win the World Video games Athlete of the 12 months with 1,99,477 votes.
The Olympics Bronze Medalist, who additionally grew to become the primary male athlete from the nation to win this award, thanked his followers and well-wishers around the globe for supporting and voting him for this honour.
“I am very honoured to win this award. To begin with, an enormous thanks to FIH for nominating me for this award, and secondly because of all of the Indian hockey lovers around the globe, who voted for me. By getting nominated I did my half, however the remainder was finished by the followers and hockey lovers. So, positively, this award goes to them, and I believe they deserve this award greater than me. It is a huge second for Indian Hockey as properly as a result of everybody within the hockey group, all of the hockey federations around the globe voted for me, so it is nice to see that assist from the hockey household,” stated Sreejesh, who impressed the Indian Males’s Hockey Staff’s historic Bronze Medal win at Tokyo Olympics 2020
The three-time Olympian additional stated, “Additionally, I’m an individual who would not imagine in particular person awards, particularly when you’re a part of a group. It isn’t solely the group of 33 gamers, however you’ve gotten lots of people concerned behind as properly, there’s teaching workers, there’s assist workers, there’s an incredible affiliation like Hockey India who’s supporting you a large number, there’s Sports activities Authority of India (SAI), who’re offering you with all of the world-class amenities to coach, there’s Odisha Authorities whose unwavering assist helps the game develop and flourish and there is India Olympic Affiliation (IOA) as properly, who re taking good care of you rather well. So, it is a collective effort of a nation to get this sort of recognition.”
Congratulating Sreejesh, Hockey India president Gyanendro Ningombam stated, “On behalf of Hockey India, I congratulate Sreejesh for successful the distinguished World Video games Athlete of the 12 months 2021 Award. This can be a very proud and particular second for India as he grew to become the one second Indian athlete to win this honour. I wish to thank FIH, the hockey group around the globe, and naturally, all his followers for supporting him and voting him to win this award. It is a huge achievement for him in addition to to Indian hockey.”
The Worldwide Hockey Federation (FIH) CEO Thierry Weil additionally congratulated Sreejesh. He stated, “On behalf of the worldwide hockey group, I would wish to wholeheartedly congratulate PR Sreejesh for this magnificent achievement. This can be a nice recognition for him, for his group and for hockey as an entire. We additionally prolong our sincerest because of all followers who voted for him. Athletes are the very best ambassadors of our sport and India’s goalkeeper actually is a pacesetter on this subject too. We stay up for seeing him in motion once more in just some days for the third version of the FIH Hockey Professional League!”