Manisha Kalyan, Lallianzuala Chhangte win AIFF Player of the Year awards

The All India Football Federation held its Annual General Body Meeting (AGM) and announced the year-end awards in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

Manisha Kalyan and Lallianzuala Chhangte won the 2022-23 AIFF Senior Footballer of the Year award.

Mumbai City FC winger Lallianzuala Chhangte becomes only the second player from Mizoram, following Jeje Lalpekhlua in 2016, to be bestowed with the men's Player of the Year award.

Chhangte was selected as the standout player above Nandhakumar Sekar and Naorem Mahesh Singh.

One of Mumbai City FC's most influential figures in their League Winners' Shield run, Chhangte appeared 22 times for his club, scoring ten goals and assisting six times.

He also won Golden Ball in ISL and the golden boot in Durand Cup. The winger played 12 times for India, scoring two goals and winning Hero Intercontinental Cup with the team.

Meanwhile, Manisha Kalyan, the 21-year-old forward, has won the AIFF Women's Footballer of the Year award for the 2022-23 season, surpassing Dalima Chhibber and Ngangbam Sweety Devi.

Manisha became the first-ever Indian women's footballer to play in UEFA Champions League and won Cypriot Women's League with Apollon Ladies scoring six goals in the process.

21-year-old left back Akash Mishra and 16-year-old forward Shilji Shaji won the AIFF Emerging players award.

Akash Mishra played a pivotal role in helping Hyderabad FC keep ten clean sheets throughout the Hero ISL season. He made 25 appearances and also managed to score one goal.

Apart from ISL, Akash became an integral part of the national team and kept six clean sheets in the season.

Shilji Shaji, who is currently a member of the Indian U-17 side, won the award for her exploits in the 2023 SAFF U-17 Women's Championship, where she emerged as the top scorer with eight goals in four games.

Former Odisha FC assistant coach Clifford Miranda who guided the team to its maiden Hero Super Cup title was awarded the AIFF Men's Coach of the Year award.

Priya Parathi Valappil, the former Indian international and the current head coach of the India women's U17 team, has been voted as the AIFF Women's Coach of the Year.