Rani, 15, nominated for FIH award
By IANSThursday, October 28, 2010
CHENNAI - India’s striker, 15-year old Rani Rampal who caught the eye of the discerning with six goals at the recent women’s hockey World Cup in Argentina, is among the nominees for the FIH Young Player of the Year award.
Rampal is the only Indian to figure in any of the four categories that include men and women and junior men and women, born in 1987 or later.
The winners will be announced Nov 12 at a special ceremony in Montreux, Switzerland, the location of the 2010 FIH Congress and Forum, according to a FIH press release.
From Nov 1, the FIH will be profiling each of the nominated players on its official website at regular intervals.
Meanwhile, three of World’s iconic players, Teun de Nooijer (Netherlands) and Jamie Dwyer (Australia) among men and Luciana Aymar (Argentina) again figure in the list of nominees.
Both Dwyer and de Nooijer have won the award thrice apiece while 33-year old Aymar, arguably the greatest woman player ever, topped no fewer than six times, including in 2009 when she shared it with Naomi van As of the Netherlands. She was instrumental in Argentina winning the 2010 World Cup.
Also among the nominees for the men’s award are Germany midfielder Moritz Frste, England’s Barry Middleton and Korea’s Jong Ho Seo.
The women’s list includes China’s Fu Baorong whose goals helped country to a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and Germany’s Natascha Keller besides Maartje Paumen of the Netherlands. Twice Young Player of the Year award winner Soledad Garcia (Argentina) completes the list of nominees.
The Nominees:
FIH Men’s Player of the Year - Jamie Dwyer (Australia), Moritz Frste (Germany), Barry Middleton (England), Teun de Nooijer (The Netherlands), Jong Ho Seo (South Korea).
FIH Women’s Player of the Year - Luciana Aymar (Argentina), Fu Baorong (China), Soledad Garcia (Argentina), Natascha Keller (Germany), Maartje Paumen (The Netherlands).
Young Player Awards (for players born in 1987 or thereafter):
Men - Florian Fuchs (Germany), Tobias Hauke (Germany), Ashley Jackson (England), Robert Kemperman (The Netherlands), Nick Wilson (New Zealand).
Women - Casey Eastham (Australia), Eva de Goede (The Netherlands), Rani Rampal (India), Daniela Sruoga (Argentina), Zhao Yudiao (China).
