India's Harmanpreet Singh was crowned as Men's Player Of The Year and his former compatriot PR Sreejesh was named Men's Goalkeeper Of The Year, announced the International Hockey Federation (FIH) on Friday.
Rajinder made his senior debut in October last year during a two-match series against Germany, where he shone bright and eight months later, he became a key member of the Indian senior team.
India lost 2-4 against the Netherlands in shootout after their return leg FIH Pro League match ended in a 1-1 draw in Rourkela on Wednesday.
The Netherlands survived a major scare to beat China 3-1 in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw in regulation to retain their women's title at the Paris Olympics on Friday, giving the Dutch the hockey double after Thursday's men's triumph.
India have been clubbed with Olympic champions Belgium, mighty Australia, Rio Games gold medallist Argentina, New Zealand and Ireland.
'I had a feeling from within that this tournament (Asia Cup) would be something special, but I did not think that I would become the player-of-the-tournament.'
Malaysia came from a goal down to crush lower-ranked Bangladesh 4-1 before title holders Korea thrashed Chinese Taipei 7-0 in Pool B matches of the men's Asia Cup hockey tournament
Indian men's hockey team leaves for Mike Horn's base in Switzerland ahead of Paris Olympics
Hockey: India seek World Cup berth through Asia Cup triumph; up against China in opener
India have come into the tournament without the injured duo of veteran goalkeeper Savita Punia and ace drag-flicker Deepika.
Hockey India has announced a 24-member Indian men's team for the European leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League, set to be played in Amstelveen, Netherlands and Antwerp, Belgium, from June 7.
The former Olympian acknowledged that while the PHF's financial situation was challenging and that players had faced delays in their travel allowances and daily subsistence payments, these issues did not justify abandoning the national team and bringing disrepute to the country.
Eight-time champions India have bee clubbed along side Australia, Argentina, Spain, New Zealand and hosts Japan in a tough Pool A in the men's competition
India conceded more than 100 penalty corners, including 17 in a game against Belgium across 16 Pro League matches.
In a body blow to India's medal prospects in the Commonwealth Games, key sports such as hockey, badminton, wrestling, cricket and shooting have been dropped from the 2026 edition by host city Glasgow, which unveiled a pruned roster of 10 disciplines to keep the event budget-friendly.
Dominating the proceedings, Netherlands scored five field goals through Lars Balk (16th minute), Robert Kemperman (20th), Thijs van Dam (40th, 58th) and Thierry Brinkman (41st) to register the comfortable win at the Kalinga Stadium.
Taeke Taekema emerged the top scorer of the tournament as the Dutch beat defending champions Spain in the final.
The top two teams from the Super 4s will progress to the summit clash, and a draw would be enough for India to seal their place in Sunday's final.
Top-ranked Netherlands reached the men's hockey final at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday with a much more comfortable 4-0 win over Spain than in the pool stage
Sloppy defending cost the Indian men's hockey team dearly as it went down 3-4 to Argentina
Britain beat defending champions the Netherlands on Friday to take home their first Olympic gold medal in women's hockey, winning 2-0 in a tense shootout following a hardfought 3-3 draw.
In the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives and injured many, the government ordered all Pakistani nationals to leave the country and revoked their visas.
India were dominated and outplayed by The Netherlands 3-1 in the last game of Pool B match of the Hockey World League Semi-final in London on Tuesday.
A plucky South Korea fought back superbly from a goal deficit to stun three-time champions the Netherlands 2-1 in an action-packed match but that was not enough to qualify for the semifinals of the hockey World Cup in New Delhi on Tuesday.
In Thursday's semi-finals, world number one Australia clash with fourth-ranked Spain, while third-placed Netherlands take on number two Germany.
The Indian men's hockey team failed to live up to its expectations after a bright start to draw 2-2 against France in its second game of the Four-Nation Tournament in Cape Town on Wednesday.
Defending champions Netherlands will face Germany, while Britain take on New Zealand in the women's hockey semi-finals of the Rio Olympics on Wednesday.
The Indian men's hockey team's FIH Pro League title hopes went up in smoke after suffering a hard-fought 1-2 defeat against the Netherlands
Manpreet Singh, the second-most capped player in Indian hockey, has found a second wind by tweaking his lifestyle and diet.
'We haven't won the tournament for a while and the objective is to be No.1 in Asia and we will be pushing hard for the next 10 days.'
World champions Australia outplayed Pakistan 7-0 to ease into the semi-finals of the Olympic Games men's hockey competition, while The Netherlands also stormed into the last four stage with an all-win record after spiking South Korea 4-2.
Germany were held to frustrating goalless draw by the Netherlands in the Hockey World League (HWL) Final in Raipur on Friday.
The Indians finished Pool A engagements with an all-win record, beating China 4-3, Japan 3-2 before demolishing minnows Kazakhstan 15-0 on Monday.
Belgium won a tense penalty shootout 3-2 against three-times champions Netherlands to win their first men's hockey World Cup title.
India's hockey team skipper Harmanpreet Singh and veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh expressed disappointment at not being able to realise their goal of winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, but said a bronze will be at least better than returning home empty-handed.
In Manpreet's 400th international game, India suffer sixth consecutive defeat
An inconsistent India lost 1-3 to the Netherlands to slump to their second defeat in the tournament and finish at the bottom of Pool B at the Hockey World League (HWL) Final in Raipur on Monday.
Striker Abhishek struck a brace as a dominant Indian men's hockey team outplayed China 7-0 in their last Super 4s match to reach the final of the Asia Cup
The Netherlands beat New Zealand in a Pool A match to register their second straight win in the men's hockey World Cup, at the Dhyan Chand National stadium in Delhi, on Wednesday.
The opening day of the Hero Hockey World League Final witnessed a major upset as lower-ranked Argentina put up a spirited display to outclass London Olympic silver medallist Netherlands 5-2, while world number two Australia eked out a narrow 3-2 win over Belgium in Pool B at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium on Friday.
