New Delhi: Hockey India on Monday congratulated the Indian men's hockey team goalkeeper PR Sreejesh for winning the World Games Athlete of the Year 2021 Award. He became just the second Indian athlete after Indian Women's Hockey stalwart Rani to win this prestigious award.
This was the ninth edition of the IWGA initiative that recognises and honours an athlete or a team for their outstanding performance in 2021, or for their social commitment or particularly fair behaviour.
A total of 24 athletes from 17 countries were nominated for this award from their respective sports by their international federations. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) had recommended Sreejesh's name for his outstanding efforts in the year 2021. The winner of this prestigious award was adjudged through the online voting process and Sreejesh accumulated a mammoth 1,27,647 votes to bag this award. In 2019, Rani became the first from India to win the World Games Athlete of the Year with 1,99,477 votes.
