Indian Football Celebrates its Stars with AIFF Awards for the 2023-24 Season.

 

Introduction & About AIFF Awards:

 

  • The All India Football Federation (AIFF) conducts its annual awards to recognize and celebrate the achievements and contributions of exceptional talents in Indian football.
  • For the 2023-24 season, the AIFF awarded top honours to Lallianzuala Chhangte as the Men's Player of the Year and Indumathi Kathiresan as the Women's Player of the Year.

 

Stellar Performances of the Year:

 

 

Men’s Player of the Year: Lallianzuala Chhangte

 

  • The 27-year-old winger from Mumbai City FC, won the AIFF Men’s Player of the Year award for the second consecutive time.
  • Becoming the fifth player to win the award multiple times, his exceptional achievements included:
  • -Scoring 11 goals and providing 7 assists for Mumbai City FC.
  • -Ranking as the highest-scoring Indian in the Indian Super League (ISL).
  • -Marking a successful goal against Qatar in Doha during the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in June 2024.

 

Women’s Player of the Year: Indumathi Kathiresan

 

  • Indumathi Kathiresan, a 30-year-old midfielder from Tamil Nadu, bagged the AIFF Women’s Player of the Year award.
  • She added several accomplishments to her accolades like:
  • -Winning the 2023-24 Indian Women’s League (IWL) title with Odisha FC.
  • -Scoring 5 goals in the IWL and receiving the Best Midfielder award.
  • -Scoring a crucial goal against Estonia in the Turkish Women’s Cup in February 2024.

 

 Emerging Talent of the Year:

 

 

Men’s Promising Player of the Year: David Lalhlansanga

 

  • David Lalhlansanga, the 22-year-old striker from Mohammedan Sporting, was honoured as AIFF Promising Men’s Player of the Year.
  • His outstanding performance for the 2023-24 season included:
  • -Scoring 34 goals across various competitions.
  • -Aiding Mohammedan Sporting in achieving the I-League and Calcutta Football League titles.
  • -Earned his first national team call-up for the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in May 2024.

 

Women’s Promising Player of the Year: Neha

 

  • 18-year-old winger Neha bagged the AIFF Promising Women’s Player of the Year award.
  • Her achievements during the season included:
  • -Scoring 2 goals leading India to the SAFF U19 Women’s Championship victory.
  • -Contributing 3 goals for Haryana in the Senior Women's National Football Championship final.

-Scoring for HOPS FC during IWL and represented India in international friendlies.

 

 Coaches of the Year:

 

    • Khalid Jamil of Jamshedpur FC and Sukla Dutta of India U-19 team and Sreebhumi FC were awarded Men's Coach of the Year and Women's Coach of the Year, respectively.

 

Other Awards:

 

    • The Referee of the Year award was given to Ramachandran Venkatesh.
    • Ujjal Halder was recognized as the Assistant Referee of the Year.

 

 General Knowledge Tid-Bit:

 

These awards serve to encourage the growth and recognition of football in India, adding to its long history dating back to the mid-19th century. Today, Indian football is governed by the All India Football Federation, established in 1937, and has been a member of the Asian Football Confederation and FIFA since 1948. AIFF has been vital in selecting and coaching the national football teams and conducting various leagues within the nation.