Stacy and Keller, FIH Players of the Year '99

AMSTERDAM, JUNE 2. Jay Stacy of Australia and Natascha Keller of Germany won the FIH Players of the Year 1999 award. The International Hockey Federation announced the name of the winners on Thursday and the awards were presented to the two on the same day during the break in the Champions Trophy by FIH president Juan Angel Calzado.

For the 22-year-old Keller, the award really comes as the culmination of a profitable 1999 performance. It may not compensate for her disappointment in losing the final of the European championship held in her country last year, but it shows her enormous contribution to the team as she pipped other world stars such as Alysson Anan, Dillian van den Boogaard and Carole Thate to the award.

A skilful striker, she is also modest and was very surprised to have even been nominated.

She was selected `Player of the Tournament' in the Champions Trophy in Brisbane in 1999.

Keller comes from a family with exceptional Olympic tradition. Her grandfather, father and brother were all Olympic medallists, just as she was in Atlanta in 1996. No doubt she will be expecting to continue with that tradition in the coming Sydney Games. Jay Stacy (31), had an exceptional year in 1999. His penalty corner strike must be one of the hardest in men's hockey today and has been a match winner for the Kookaburras on many an occasion, especially in the 1999 Champions Trophy where he went on to win gold.

As vice-captain of the Australian side, he has displayed excellent leadership qualities on the field.

He is also a great ambassador for the game, being a role model for many young hockey players.

Only recently, he accumulated his 300th international cap in the four-nation tournament in Perth last month, and is Australia's most capped player.

His commitment will ensure that he continues to play a major role in Australia's side as they now work towards the Olympic gold.

The FIH Players of the Year were selected after a selection panel made up of umpires, coaches, journalists and Athletes' Panel members voted for players nominated by various journalists and national hockey associations.

Voting was based on various criteria such as leadership qualities, contribution to development, technique and skill, influence on team performance and personality. ``Both Natascha and Jay have set such high standards that the FIH is only too pleased to give due recognition to the athletes' outstanding achievements,'' said Calzado while announcing the awards.

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