MUMBAI: Drag-flick specialist and India's leading goal-scorer in 2016,
Rupinder Pal Singh
was on Monday adjudged
TOISA
Hockey Player of the Year at the glittering
Mahindra Scorpio Times of India Sports Awards in Mumbai, edging out his captain PR Sreejesh and team-mate
VR Raghunath
along with two pillars of the women's game.
The penalty corner expert scored six goals in India's 10-2 victory over Japan in the Asian Champions Trophy, which India won, and emerged as the highest goal-scorer with 11 overall. Rupinder was also part of the Indian team that finished quarter-finalists at
Rio Olympics 2016, going in ranked fifth in the world.
Chairman of the TOISA jury Zafar Iqbal, quicksilver forward of India's last Olympic gold-winning hockey team and subsequently the captain of the Indian hockey team, was in awe of Rupinder's success in 2016.
"That boy is something else," he said. "Leading goal-scorer is one thing, but being match-aware and physically so fit is what sets him apart. He rarely seems to falter on the field. No doubt Sreejesh has been an exceptional leader and is the best custodian we have, and Raghunath is a very fine player, but Rupinder's skill as a drag-flick specialist are remarkable."
The hockey winners at the inaugural TOISA in 2015 were Sreejesh and Rani Rampal, who were nominees this year as well along with Ritu Rani and Raghunath.
Rani Rampal was part of the Indian team that made it to the Olympics after a gap of 36 years as well as the one that lifted India's first Asian Champions Trophy, and scored the lone goal of India's historic win over World No 4 Australia in a Test in Melbourne. It had been under Ritu that the Indian women's hockey team qualified for the Rio Olympics, the first time they made it to the Summer Games since 1980.
Sreejesh was named captain of the Indian team before the Champions Trophy. Under Sreejesh, India finished runner-up in the Champions Trophy, losing the final to Australia in the penalty shootouts. At the Rio Olympics, India came up short of a medal finish but dished out inspiring performances against Ireland and Argentina, whom they beat 3-2 and 2-1 respectively. Sreejesh then led India to a gold medal finish at the Asian Champions Trophy, where India remained unbeaten and beat Pakistan 3-2 in the final. Ruled out of action with injury, he served as mentor to the junior men's team that won the Junior World Cup in Lucknow.
Raghunath led an 18-member Indian team to bronze in the Four Nations Tournament, held in Australia, and in the two Tests against Australia that followed, captained India to a 1-1 series result. Raghunath, a two-time Olympian, was part of the Indian team that finished quarter-finalists in Rio and a member of part the team that won silver at the Champions Trophy.
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