Aymar collects record third WorldHockey crown

Luciana Aymar and Maartje Goderie, the 2005 WorldHockey Women's Players of the Year

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Argentine superstar Luciana Aymar collected her record third WorldHockey Women’s Player of the Year award in Canberra this afternoon.

This was the eighth time the International Hockey Federation has presented the WorldHockey Player of the Year awards, with Aymar the runaway winner for the second consecutive year.

Maartje Goderie of the Netherlands was named the WorldHockey Women’s Young Player of the Year. The award is presented to the outstanding player under the age of 23.

Aymar polled more than 55 percent of the votes cast by players and coaches at the Samsung Hockey Champions Trophy to become the only woman to win the award three times. The only other player to win the award more than once is Australia’s Alyson Annan.

The 28-year-old has played almost 180 matches for Argentina in a glittering career that has also included numerous Champions Trophy player of the tournament awards, including this year in Canberra.

The 21-year-old midfielder burst onto the international stage at the 2004 Champions Trophy in Rosario and went onto to win the player of the tournament at the BDO Hockey Junior World Cup in Santiago earlier this year.

She was also a member of the gold medal-winning Dutch outfit at the European Nations Cup in August and helped the Netherlands to a second consecutive gold medal in the final of the Champions Trophy this afternoon.

Nominations and presentations for the WorldHockey Men’s Player of the Year will take place at the Sahara Hockey Champions Trophy starting 10 December in Chennai, India.