New Delhi: National men’s team captain Sunil Chhetri was on Friday presented with All India Football Federation’s 2014 Player of the Year award here.
Chhetri was voted the winner by I-League coaches and this was the fourth time he received the award having earlier won it in 2007, 2011 and 2013. In the process he surpassed the legendary IM Vijayan who won the award thrice.
Busy with his club commitments with Bengaluru FC in the ongoing I-League, Chhetri could not turn up at the AIFF Awards Night at the FICCI House and Shanta Gopinath, national teams manager, received it on his behalf.
In his video message, Chhetri thanked all his coaches, teammates and support staff for making him what he is today. Besides the trophy, Chhetri pocketed a prize of Rs.2 lakh.
National women’s team striker Bala Devi, who scored 47 goals in 2014, including 18 in international matches, was presented with 2014 AIFF Women’s Footballer of the Year.
An elated Bala thanked AIFF and President Praful Patel for the support and dedicated the award to her teammates, coaches and family.
“This Award belongs to them as much it belongs to me. I thank AIFF for the recognition and this motivates me to do better,” she said.
Besides the trophy, Bala received a prize of Rs.1 lakh.
Sandesh Jhingan bagged the Emerging Player of the Year award while FIFA Referee Santosh Kumar from Kerala was awarded the AIFF Award for Best Referee. (PTI)
