New Delhi, Feb 17 (IANS): India men's hockey skipper Manpreet Singh, who won the FIH Player of the Year 2019 Award on Thursday, has dedicated the prize to his late father.

"I would like to thank my family and friends for always supporting me. They have been motivating me throughout my career. And of course, I cannot forget my father, if he was still here, he would've been really proud of me. This award is for all the support and strength that he always gave me," the 27-year-old said.

Manpreet added that the FIH Player of the Year Award will give him confidence for the upcoming FIH Hockey Pro League matches and the Tokyo Olympics.

"It's a really proud moment for me to have won the FIH Player of the Year 2019 Award. It gives me huge confidence for all the upcoming FIH Hockey Pro League matches, as well as for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. It also feels amazing to have become the first Indian ever to win this prize, but with this recognition, there also comes a big responsibility to keep helping my team to do well," he said.

Vivek Sagar Prasad and Lalremsiami won their respective FIH Rising Star of the Year Awards earlier this month. Manpreet expressed that the awards won by Vivek and Lalremsiami reflect well on how the Indian men's and women's hockey teams are improving.

"It is also a very positive thing for both our teams with Vivek and Lalremsiami also having won their respective FIH Rising Star of the Year Awards. It reflects well on how our teams are improving, and gives us the confidence in doing well in future events and tournaments," said Manpreet.