India's hockey captain Rani Rampal nominated for World Games Athlete of the Year

New Delhi: The Indian women's hockey team captain Rani Rampal has been nominated for the 'World Games Athlete of the Year' by the sport's governing body FIH.

In all, 25 athletes have been nominated for this award from their respective sports by their international federations and in Rani's case, the FIH has recommended her name for the award for her outstanding performances and her ability to lead by example, Hockey India said in a statement.

"We at Hockey India are elated by the news of Rani being nominated for the World Games Athlete of the Year 2019. She indeed is a huge inspiration to many in the country and has made her own mark in the sport," stated Mohd. Mushtaque Ahmad, President of Hockey India.

The winner will be decided by online voting which closes on January 30.

"We hope this nomination comes as an inspiration to many other aspiring players who wish to emulate Rani's success. We urge all hockey fans to vote for Rani and also continue to support Rani and the Indian Women's Team as they prepare for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics," he added.

Rani was instrumental in India qualifying for the first time in back-to-back Olympic Games.

This will be the 6th edition of the WGA initiative that recognises and honours an athlete or a team for their outstanding performance or for their social commitment or particularly fair behaviour.

Last year, Acrobatic Gymnastics couple Mariia Chernova and Georgii Pataraia (Russia) won the title with 159,348 votes, just ahead of American Powerlifter Jennifer Thompson with 152,865 votes.