India’s hockey keeper PR Sreejesh gets the World Games Athlete of the Year 2021 title

India’s dependable hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh has been awarded World Games Athlete of the year for 2021.

According to FIH, the world governing body in field hockey, Sreejesh, played a crucial role in helping India’s men’s hockey team claim a first Olympic medal in over four decades, a bronze at last year’s 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games in Japan.

In a global fan vote conducted on TheWorldGames.org, Sreejesh finished well clear at the top of the 24-strong nomination list. The Indian seasoned goalkeeper received 127,647 votes, which was almost twice as many as the second placed athlete, sport climbing ace Albert Ginés López. The Spanish athlete garnered 67,428 votes.

Sreejesh is the second hockey player to win the award, following in the footsteps of compatriot and team India's female captain Rani, who took the 2019 prize.

Upon winning the title, Sreejesh said it was a big win not for him, but for hockey as a sport in India.

“I’m very honored to win this award. First of all, a big thank you to FIH for nominating me for this award. Secondly, I thank all the Indian hockey lovers around the world who voted for me,” the elated Olympian told FIH media.

Sreejesh felt that though he had a role to play in securing the title, most of it was due to his fans and hockey lovers.

“So, this award goes to them, and I think they deserve this award more than me. It's great to see the support from my hockey family," the veteran of 244 international matches told FIH.

“On behalf of the global hockey community, I’d like to wholeheartedly congratulate PR Sreejesh for this magnificent achievement. This is a great recognition for him, for his team and for hockey as a whole,” FIH chief executive officer Thierry Weil said.

The World Games is a multi-sport event staged every four years by the International World Games Association with the support of the International Olympic Committee. The World Games are staged over a period of 11 days, with more than 30 sports in the program.

Indoor Hockey featured as an invitational sport at the World Games in 2005, which took place in Duisburg, Germany. Hockey will be included in The World Games 2022 at Birmingham, USA between 7-17 July 2022.