All you need to know about every male footballer to have won the All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) Indian footballer of the year award till date
The Men’s Player of the Year Awards are the football awards presented by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to the best Indian talents every year. They were started by the federation in 1992. Let’s take a look at the list of all the recipients of the award till the year 2021.
List Pf All The Indian Footballer Of The Year Winners From 1992-2021
- M. Vijayan: Popularly known as “Kalo Harin” (Blackbuck), Vijayan was the inaugural winner of the award in 1992 and went on to win the award again in 1997 and in 2000. The striker had an amazing career having captained the Indian National Football Team.
- V.P. Sathyan: Vatta Parambath Satyan played as a centre-back and won the award in 1993. He captained the Indian National Football Team for four years, from 1991 to 1995.
- Jo Paul Ancheri: Jo won the award in 1994 as well as in 2001. Having captained the Indian Football team, he was a versatile player. Ancheri is currently working as a Malayalam commentator and pundit on Star Sports Malayalam.
- Bhaichung Bhutia: Which Indian football fanatic hasn’t heard of Bhaichung Bhutia! He is considered to be one of the best footballers India has ever produced which is why I.M. Vijayan has gone on record to say that Bhutia is “God’s gift to Indian football”. The striker has won the AIFF award in 1995 and in 2008 as well.
- Bruno Coutinho: Former captain of the national football team, Bruno won this award in 1996. He then went on to win the Arjuna Award in 2001.
- Deepak Mondal: Jharkhand-born Deepak Mondal won the AIFF Player of the Year Award in 2002.
- Tomba Singh: Wangkheirakpam Tomba Singh received the award in 2003.
- Shanmugam Venkatesh: Current AFC A License coach, Venkatesh won his AIFF Player of the year award in 2004.
- Climax Lawrence: AIFF Player of the Year in 2005.
- Irungbam Surkumar Singh: 2006
- Sunil Chhetri: Current skipper of the Indian national football team, Chhetri has won the Player of the year award a total of six times, the most by any Indian player ever. He won the award in 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017 and in 2018.
- Subrata Pal: Winner of the award in 2009.
- Gouramangi Singh: Winner in 2010.
- Syed Rahim Nabi: Winner in 2012.
- Eugyneson Lyngdoh: Winner in 2015.
- Jeje Lalpekhlua: Winner in 2016.
- Gurpreet Singh Sandhu: Winner in 2019.
- Sandesh Jhinghan: Jhinghan also became the highest valued player India last year and won the AIFF Player of the Year Award this year for his outstanding performance in 2020-21.
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