'HIL will be an adventure I remember for life', says Odisha Warriors' Yibbi Jansen

New Delhi, Nov 15 (IANS) Yibbi Jansen and Harmanpreet Singh were recently named Players of the Year at the FIH Star Awards 2024 in Muscat. Yibbi, the Dutch midfielder, was honoured as Player of the Year following her exceptional performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she emerged as the leading goalscorer with nine goals in eight matches.

At just 24, Yibbi was recently acquired by the Odisha Warriors in the auction of the inaugural Women’s HIL for an impressive Rs 29 lakh, making her the second-most costliest player in the league. Known for her fierce drag flicks, she scored crucial goals during the Olympics, most notably the equaliser in the gold medal match with less than 10 minutes remaining, ultimately helping her team secure the top spot on the podium.

“I'm very happy and proud to be named the FIH Player of the Year for 2024 but in the end it's a team sport. We achieved our goal, and my biggest dream last summer was yeah winning the Olympic gold. And then winning the Player of the Year Award after such a good summer is very special. There goes a lot of work behind the scenes; I do a lot of strength training, hockey training and I put some extra time in my penalty corner. So yeah, it takes a lot of time, but it is something I love so it doesn't feel like work,” Yibbi commented on the achievement.

“I have learned a lot from players who are older than me. It's always nice to look at each other and take some skills they have into your own, into your own play. I think we can learn a lot from each other during the HIL because we play with players from different nationalities and every country has a different type of play. And training with other drag flickers will be fun as well,” she added.

Since making her debut for the Dutch women’s team in 2018 against the United States, Yibbi has amassed 82 caps and scored an astounding 71 goals in the orange jersey. As one of the leading midfielders and drag flickers in international hockey, Yibbi is set to be a cornerstone for the Odisha Warriors in the upcoming HIL season.

"I'm really looking forward to the adventure this January in India. It's the first time the Hockey India League is being held for women and I'm very pleased to play for the Odisha Warriors. We have a really nice team so winning the Hockey India League would be very cool. I'm also looking forward to playing in front of Indian fans. We were in India last year as well and I loved it. I think it's going to be a big adventure and I am really looking forward to this January. Hopefully, lots of crowds will come to the stadium and it will be an adventure which I will remember for life," she said.

The Odisha Warriors' roster also includes international stars like Freeke Moes from the Netherlands, Claire Colwill, Jocelyn Bartram, and Kaitlin Nobbs from Australia. They will be joined by a strong group of Indian core players including Neha, Deep Grace Ekka, Ishika Chaudhary, Baljeet Kaur, Jyoti Chhatri and highly regarded youngsters Annu, Sakshi Rana and Kanika Siwach. This mix of talent and experience makes the Odisha Warriors one of the strongest squads on paper in the league.

"We are incredibly proud to congratulate Yibbi Jansen on winning the FIH Player of the Year Award. Having her on the Odisha Warriors is a tremendous honour and a significant boost. Claire Colwill, who was nominated for Rising Player of the Year, is also in our ranks. The presence of some of the best players around the world will greatly benefit our Indian players, helping their development both on and off the field. We look forward to a fantastic season with Yibbi at the Odisha Warriors," said Sanjeev Srivastava, Chairperson of the Sanpriya Group, which oversees Navoyam Sports, owners of Odisha Warriors.

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