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 six times, more than any other player.[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. Oinam Bembem Devi was its first recipient.[5] Between 2002 and 2012, no women's award was given out. 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 twice, in 2015 and 2016.[6] 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.[7]
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.[8][9] The women's awards are selected by the head coach of the women's national team in consultation with the AIFF Technical Director.[10][11]
List of AIFF Men's Player of the Year Award winners
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 six times: in 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017, and most recently, 2018−19.[12] Jo Paul Ancheri and Bhaichung Bhutia have won the award twice.[1]
Template:Col-begin Template:Col-2
| Winner by years | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Template:Abbr |
| 1992 | Template:Sort name | [8] |
| 1993 | Template:Sort name | |
| 1994 | Template:Sort name | |
| 1995 | Template:Sort name | |
| 1996 | Template:Sort name | |
| 1997 | Template:Sort name | |
| 1998 | Not awarded | |
| 1999 | ||
| 2000 | Template:Sort name | |
| 2001 | Template:Sort name | |
| 2002 | Template:Sort name | |
| 2003 | Template:Sort name | |
| 2004 | Template:Sort name | |
| 2005 | Template:Sort name | |
| 2006 | Template:Sort name | |
| 2007 | Template:Sort name | |
| 2008 | Template:Sort name | |
| 2009 | Template:Sort name | |
| 2010 | Template:Sort name | |
| 2011 | Template:Sort name | |
| 2012 | Template:Sort name | |
| 2013 | Template:Sort name | |
| 2014 | Template:Sort name | |
| 2015 | Template:Sort name | [9] |
| 2016 | Template:Sort name | [13] |
| 2017 | Template:Sort name | [14] |
| 2018–19 | Template:Sort name | [10] |
| 2019–20 | Template:Sort name | [15] |
| 2020–21 | Template:Sort name | [16] |
| Multiple winners | |
|---|---|
| Wins | Player |
| 6 | Template:Sort name |
| 3 | Template:Sort name |
| 2 | Template:Sort name |
| Template:Sort name | |
List of AIFF Women's Player of the Year winners
Oinam Bembem Devi was the first recipient of the award in 2001. Bembem Devi retained it in 2013, after the 2002-2012 halt ended.[4] Bala Devi has won the award a record three times: in 2014, 2015, 2021.[7][17]
Template:Col-begin Template:Col-2
| Winner by years | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Template:Abbr |
| 2001 | Template:Sortname | [5] |
| 2002−2012 | Not awarded | |
| 2013 | Template:Sortname | [4] |
| 2014 | Template:Sortname | [17] |
| 2015 | Template:Sortname | [7] |
| 2016 | Template:Sortname | [1] |
| 2017 | Template:Sortname | [3] |
| 2018−19 | Template:Sortname | [10] |
| 2019−20 | Template:Sortname | [11] |
| 2020−21 | Template:Sortname | [18] |
| Multiple winners | |
|---|---|
| Wins | Player |
| 3 | Template:Sortname |
| 2 | Template:Sortname |
List of AIFF Emerging Player of the Year winners
| Year | Player | Template:Abbr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | Women | ||
| 2013 | Template:Sortname | Not awarded | [4] |
| 2014 | Template:Sort name | [17] | |
| 2015 | Template:Sortname | Template:Sortname | [7] |
| 2016 | Template:Sortname | Template:Sortname | [1] |
| 2017 | Template:Sortname | Template:Sortname | [3] |
| 2018−19 | Template:Sortname | Template:Sortname | [10] |
| 2019−20 | Template:Sortname | Template:Sortname | [11] |
| 2020−21 | Template:Sortname | Template:Sortname | [18] |
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Jeje Lalpekhlua is 2016 AIFF Player of the Year. the-aiff.com. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
- ↑ AIFF announce Sunil Chhetri as the Player of the Year. indiansuperleague.com.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Sunil Chhetri wins 2017 AIFF Player of the Year award(22 July 2018).
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Sunil Chhetri is 2013 AIFF Player of the Year. the-aiff.com(20 December 2013).
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 19 years and counting – The legend of Oinam Bembem Devi(8 March 2015).
- ↑ Women's football: Mary Kom an inspiration for Bala Devi. Sportstar(2 February 2020).
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Eugenson Lyngdoh voted '2015 AIFF Player of the Year'. the-aiff.com(20 December 2015).
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 All India Football Federation Awards: Sunil Chhetri and Bala Devi win Player of the Year Trophy. India Today(14 February 2015).
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Eugeneson Lyngdoh, Bala Devi get top All India Football Federation awards. India Today(21 December 2020).
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Sunil Chhetri and Ashalata Devi bag top honours at AIFF Awards. Sportstar(9 July 2019).
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Gurpreet and Sanju declared winners of AIFF Player of the Year Awards. the-aiff.com(25 September 2020).
- ↑ I draw inspiration from MC Mary Kom, say Sunil Chhetri. the-aiff.com(11 July 2019).
- ↑ AIFF Awards: Jeje Lalpekhlua named best Indian player. The Times of India(9 June 2017).
- ↑ Chhetri wins 2017 AIFF player of the year award. Business Standard(22 July 2018).
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Chandigarh lad Sandhu adjudged men's football player of the year by AIFF. The Indian Express(26 September 2020).
- ↑ Sandesh named AIFF Men's Footballer of the Year, Suresh wins Emerging Player award. All India Football Federation(21 July 2021).
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Sunil Chhetri voted 2014 AIFF Player of the Year. the-aiff.com(27 December 2014).
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Bala Devi, Manisha Kalyan named winners of annual AIFF Awards. the-aiff.com(20 July 2021).