Vivek Sagar Prasad expresses gratitude to teammates and seniors after winning FIH's Rising Star of the Year 2019 award 

What's the story?

FIH's Rising Star of the Year 2019, Vivek Sagar Prasad, thanked the fans, his teammates and seniors after winning the prestigious award. The upcoming star mentioned that this award will motivate him to work harder for future matches.

The background

Hockey India announced Vivek Sagar Prasad and Lalremsiami as the Rising Stars of the Year 2019 in the men's and women's category, respectively. Vivek had led the Indian U-18 team to a silver medal in the 2018 Youth Olympics, while he also played a key role in helping the senior Indian secure their Olympics berth.

In case you did not know, Prasad faced stiff competition from Argentina's Maico Casella, Australia's Blake Govers, Zachary Wallace of Great Britain and Jonas De Geus of the Netherlands in the race to this award.

Congratulations to our youngsters Vivek Sagar & Lalremsiami for this achievement. Your undying grit and determination will inspire all!#OdishaForHockey pic.twitter.com/T4lTr8zcjx

— Odisha Sports (@sports_odisha) February 11, 2020

The heart of the matter

Talking to IANS on Tuesday (11th February), the 19-year-old from Madhya Pradesh said,

"This is a big moment for me and I thank everyone who voted for me. This comes as a big motivation to strive harder for the Indian team and give my best, as we aim to achieve higher goals for the country. I would also like to thank my teammates, especially the seniors who always motivated me. If I made any mistake, they encouraged me to give my best."

Hockey India's President Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad congratulated Vivek on his achievement with the following statement.

"I congratulate Vivek for winning the prestigious FIH Rising Star of the Year award. He has transitioned into the senior team well and has been effective in the midfield, carrying out his duties as expected. I wish him the best in his future endeavours and hope this award motivates him to do better for the team."

What's next?

It will be interesting to see if the young hockey player can continue his fine form in this year and make the country proud with a solid performance at the Tokyo Olympics.