Sport | Association football |
---|---|
Country | India |
Presented by | All India Football Federation |
History | |
First award | Men's (M): 1992 Women's (W): 2001 |
First winner | M: I. M. Vijayan W: Bembem Devi |
Most wins | M: Sunil Chhetri (7 awards) W: Bala Devi (3 awards) |
Most recent | M: Lallianzuala Chhangte (2023) W: Manisha Kalyan (2023) |
Website | www |
The AIFF Player of the Year Awards are the annual football awards presented to the best footballers in India by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). [1] The AIFF first announced the award for Men's Player of the Year in 1992; I. M. Vijayan was the inaugural winner. Sunil Chhetri has won the award a record seven times. [2] [3] No winner was announced in 1998 and 1999. It was re-introduced in 2000. [4]
The AIFF Women's Player of the Year Award was introduced in 2001. Bembem Devi was its first recipient. [5] No winner was given out from 2002 up to 2012. In 2013, the award was re-introduced and Bembem Devi won it for the second time. Other than Bembem Devi, Bala Devi has also won the award thrice, in 2014, 2015 and 2020−21; [6] Manisha Kalyan won the award twice consecutively for 2021−22 and 2021−23. She also won the 2020−21 Women's Emerging Player of the Year Award. [7] Along with the men's and women's awards, the AIFF Emerging Player of the Year Award for men was introduced in 2013, [4] and a similar award for women was introduced in 2015. [8]
Until 2016, the men's awards were selected on the basis of voting by the coaches of the I-League clubs. Since 2017, coaches of both the I-League and the Indian Super League have voted to select the winner. [9] [10] The women's awards are selected by the head coach of the women's national team in consultation with the AIFF Technical Director. [11] [12]
I. M. Vijayan was the first player to receive the award in 1992. He was also the first player to win it consecutively in 1997 and 2000 (there was no award in 1998 and 1999). He has won the award three times. [4] Sunil Chhetri has received the award a record seven times: in 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018−19 and most recently, 2021−22. [13] Jo Paul Ancheri and Bhaichung Bhutia are the other players who have won this award more than once. [1]
|
|
Bembem Devi was the first recipient of the award in 2001. It was not awarded again until 2013, when Bembem Devi retained it. [4] [20] Bala Devi has won the award a record three times: in 2014, 2015 and 2020−21. [8] [21] Manisha Kalyan won the award consecutively for 2020−21 and 2022−23. [7]
|
|
Year | Player | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|
Men | Women | ||
2013 | Jeje Lalpekhlua | Not awarded | [4] |
2014 | Sandesh Jhingan | [21] | |
2015 | Pritam Kotal | Pyari Xaxa | [8] |
2016 | Rowllin Borges | Sanju Yadav | [1] |
2017 | Anirudh Thapa | Panthoi Chanu | [3] |
2018−19 | Sahal Abdul Samad | Dangmei Grace | [11] |
2019−20 | Anirudh Thapa | Ratanbala Devi | [12] |
2020−21 | Suresh Singh Wangjam | Manisha Kalyan | [22] |
2021−22 | Vikram Pratap Singh | Martina Thokchom | [18] |
2022–23 | Akash Mishra | Shilji Shaji | [19] |
Shanmugam Venkatesh is an Indian football coach and former professional footballer and currently, the assistant manager of East Bengal. He is an AFC A license coach.
Vatta Parambath Sathyan, popularly known as V. P. Sathyan, was a former Indian professional footballer who played the centre back position. He was the captain of the India national football team from 1991 to 1995. He was named the 1992 AIFF Player of the Year.
Bruno Coutinho is an Indian football player from Goa. He spent most of his club career in Salgaocar. Coutinho is winner of the Arjuna Award in 2001, a national Indian award for excellence in sport.
Sunil Chhetri is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains both Indian Super League club Bengaluru and the India national team. He is known for his link-up play, goal scoring abilities, and leadership. He is the third-highest international goalscorer among active players, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, fourth overall, and is also the most-capped player and the all-time top goalscorer of the India national team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Indian footballers of all time for his contributions for the country.
Wangkheirakpam Tomba Singh is an Indian former footballer who played as a midfielder. He is the current assistant coach of the I-League club NEROCA.
Climax Lourenco Lawrence is a retired Indian professional football midfielder. He last played for FC Bardez in the Goa Professional League in 2017.
Oinam Bembem Devi is a retired Indian footballer from Imphal, Manipur. In 2017, she was honoured with the Arjuna Award by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. She was nicknamed the Durga of Indian Football and is currently involved in spreading awareness about Women's football in India.
Irungbam Surkumar Singh is an Indian footballer who played for the India national football team as a defender. Graduated out of the prestigious Tata Football Academy in 2000, he played for the Kolkata giants East Bengal, and later for United Sikkim in the 2nd Division of I-League. After impressing at under-16 level while playing for Manipur under-16 despite being only 13, Surkumar was hired by Tata Football Academy. He spent four years in TFA and used to play as a center back. He also made his international debut in 2001 in the historic 1-0 win over UAE in a 2002 World Cup qualifier.
Syed Rahim Nabi is a retired professional Indian international footballer who primarily played as a midfielder though he could play as a striker and defender. Nabi last played for Peerless SC in the Calcutta Football League and won the tournament with the club.
Eugeneson Lyngdoh is a member of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly representing the Mawphlang constituency. He is also a former Indian footballer who lastly played as a midfielder for Indian Super League side East Bengal.
Loitongbam Ashalata Devi, known as Ashalata Devi, is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Indian Women's League club Gokulam Kerala and captains the India women's national team. Devi is considered one of the finest defenders from Asia.
Yumnam Kamala Devi is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder and an occasional striker for the Indian team. She currently plays for Eastern Sporting Union in the Indian Women's League.
Ngangom Bala Devi is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Indian Women's League club Odisha and the India women's national team.
Grace Dangmei is an Indian women's international footballer who plays as a forward for Indian Women's League side Gokulam Kerala and the India women's national team. She was part of the team at the 2014 Asian Games and at the 2016 South Asian Games where she scored two goals against Sri Lanka. During the 2016 SAFF Women's Championship, she scored a goal in the first half of the final, helping India clinch its fourth consecutive title at the tournament.
The Football Players' Association of India or (FPAI) is an association for Indian association footballers. Created in 2006, it aims to "look after the welfare of players and educate and advice them by engaging professionals". It was created by former Indian national team captain Bhaichung Bhutia. In 2007, it got affiliated to FIFPro.
Sahal Abdul Samad is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Indian Super League club Mohun Bagan SG and the Indian National team.
Vikram Partap Singh Sandhu is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Indian Super League club Mumbai City.
Manisha Kalyan is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Cypriot First Division club Apollon and the India women's national team. She won the 2020–21 AIFF Women's Emerging Footballer of the Year and the 2022–23 AIFF Women's Player of the Year awards. She is the first Indian footballer to play in UEFA Women's Champions League.