New Delhi [India], March 26 (ANI): Ahead of the eighth edition of the Hockey India Annual Awards, which is scheduled to be held on 27 March in New Delhi, promising Indian hockey talents Anmol Ekka and Sakshi Rana expressed their pride and excitement after being nominated for prestigious under-21 honours.

Anmol Ekka has been nominated for the Hockey India Jugraj Singh Award for Upcoming Player of the Year 2025 (Men Under 21). Meanwhile, Sakshi Rana is in contention for the Hockey India Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year 2025 (Women Under 21). The nominations highlight the standout contributions of the two players last year, according to a press release from Hockey India.

Speaking about his nomination, Anmol Ekka said, 'It's a great feeling to be nominated for this award. Some distinguished names have won the award in the past, but I didn't think I'd be amongst the players being nominated. So, when I saw my name, it was an amazing feeling. I haven't told my family about the nomination yet. I will hopefully tell them when I win.'

The 20-year-old shone at the FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025 in Chennai, scoring four goals - all coming from penalty corners. His most vital contribution came in the third-place match against Argentina, where his goal helped India secure the Bronze medal and earned him the 'Player of the Match' award.

Sharing his experience from the tournament, Anmol stated, 'I got a lot of experience and exposure at the Junior World Cup. It felt like a reward for all the hard work that I have done in the last couple of years.'

Anmol believes that his nomination for the Hockey India Jugraj Singh Award for Upcoming Player of the Year 2025 is only the beginning of his journey. The young star remains focused on improving each day as he dreams of representing the senior side.

'There are areas of my game that I want to improve on, even when it comes to penalty corners. I'm still in the junior team, so I have a couple of years to showcase the best of my abilities with consistency. If I can do that, I'm confident that I will earn a senior call-up. And once I get there, I will try to give my best performance in the senior team as well.'

On the other hand, Sakshi Rana has been making waves with her performances on the field. The 18-year-old made her senior debut for India in February last year, before going on to represent the junior team as Vice Captain at the FIH Hockey Women's Junior World Cup City of Santiago in December. The youngster scored three goals in the tournament, showing glimpses of her speed and prowess in front of goal.

In her senior career, the young forward has scored two goals in her 12 appearances so far, and also played a key role in ensuring that India qualified for the FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium & Netherlands 2026, being held in August.

Reflecting on her achievements in the previous year, she added, 'I played the Junior World Cup, and made my senior debut before that in February last year. All of that has only been possible because of the hard work - that is the most important thing for me. So, I'll keep pushing myself and give my best for the team.'

Sharing her excitement about the nomination for the Hockey India Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year 2025, Rana said, 'I was delighted when I found out. It felt like the hard work that I've been putting in is not going unnoticed. I haven't told my family about the nomination yet, since I've been travelling to play. Hopefully, I can win and give them the good news.'

With eyes on the FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium & Netherlands 2026, Rana shed light on her preparation and mindset. 'The focus for us was to qualify for the World Cup. Now that we've done so, we'll get together as a team, focus on our structure and minute details in the training camp while working closely with our coaches. As a centre half, I'm learning when to move quicker with the ball and when to control the tempo. That's the focus and mindset at the moment', she concluded. (ANI)