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FIH Player of the Year Award eludes India yet again

Last Updated : 10 December 2011, 12:51 IST

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India might be the erstwhile champions of field hockey having won eight Olympic gold medals, but strangely not a single Indian have won men's FIH Player of the Year Award since it was introduced in 1998.

It was double jubilation for the Kookaburras as apart from Dwyer another Australian Matthew Swann won the Young Player award.

The winners were presented with their prizes at the Owen G Glenn FIH Champions Trophy here by FIH president Leandro Negre, with the ceremony taking place during half time of the match between The Netherlands and Spain.

For Dwyer, it is his fifth FIH Player of the Year Award, following wins in 2004, 2007, 2009 and 2010. The mercurial Australian forward has now won the annual award two occasions more than any other male player in the history of the game.

Dwyer fought off competition from fellow Australian Eddie Ockenden, German duo Moritz Furste and Max Muller as well as three-time winner Teun de Nooijer of The Netherlands to claim the prize.

Dwyer's win is even more remarkable considering that he spent almost six months on the sidelines recovering from a serious knee injury before returning to action in September.

The 32-year-old Dwyer's form at the Champions Trophy has been nothing short of sensational, netting seven goals in four games as Australia booked a place in the tournament final with a game to spare.

Fellow Australian Matthew Swann has been rewarded for his hugely impressive performances in the past 12 months, becoming a key defender in Ric Charlesworth's all-conquering Australia team.

At 22, Swann is one of the youngest members of the Kookaburras squad but has been integral to their success in recent years, helping them to win the World Cup, Champions Trophy and Commonwealth Games in 2010.

According to statement from FIH, the nominations for this prestigious prize were put together by a panel of selected coaches from many of the world's best international teams, including Ric Charlesworth (Australia), Markus Weise (Germany), Jason Lee (England and Great Britain), Pablo Lombi (Argentina), Shane McLeod (New Zealand) and Colin Batch (Belgium).

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Published 10 December 2011, 12:51 IST

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