Sunil Chhetri and Ashalata Devi wins top honours

Sunil Chhetri and Ashalata Devi bagged the biggest prizes in their respective categories as the AIFF announced awards for the 2018-19 season.

New Delhi: Indian Men's National football team skipper, Sunil Chhetri and womens team's star defender Ashalata Devi bagged the biggest prizes in their respective categories as the All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced awards for the 2018-19 season.

While Sunil Chettri was declared as the men's Footballer of the Year, Ashalata Devi was adjudged the women's Footballer of the Year.

This is the third consecutive footballer of the year win for Chhetri and his seventh honour in men's category. Chhetri recently surpassed Argentine striker Lionel Messi to become the second highest active goal-scorer. Chhetri scored a brace against Tajikistan in Intercontinental Cup to take his goal tally to 70.

Sahal Abdul Samad was declared as the emerging player of the year in the men's category whereas Manipur's Dangmei Grace was announced as the emerging player of the year in the women's category.

The full list of awards are as follows:

Best grassroots development programme: Jammu and Kashmir FA

Best assistant referee: Joseph Tony (Kerala)

Best referee: R Venkatesh (Tamil Nadu)

Emerging women's footballer of the year: Dangmei Grace (Manipur)

Emerging Men's footballer of the year: Sahal Abdul Samad (Kerala)

Women's footballer of the year: Ashalata Devi

Men's footballer of the year: Sunil Chhetri

The Indian men's team is currently playing in the Intercontinental Cup in Ahmedabad and the side lost their first match against Tajikistan 2-4.