Manpreet becomes player of the year

Lausanne:National men’s team captain Manpreet Singh on Thursday became the first Indian to win the International Hockey Federation’s (FIH) Player of the Year award, capping a memorable 2019 season in which he led the side to Olympic qualification. The 27-year-old midfielder, thus, became the first from the country to win the accolade since the awards were introduced in 1999. He beat competition from Belgium’s Arthur van Dorren and Lucas Villa of Argentina, who came second and third respectively. Manpreet polled a total of 35.2 per cent of combined votes, which includes National Associations, media, fans and players. (PTI)