Chhetri named 2017 AIFF Player of the Year
Mumbai, July 22 : Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri was named the 2017 All India Football Federation (AIFF) Player of the Year here on Sunday.
Kamala Devi was adjudged the 2017 AIFF woman Player of the Year.
Besides recently becoming the second Indian to play 100 international games after former star striker Baichung Bhutia, Chhetri is also the skipper of former I-League champions and current Super Cup holders Bengaluru FC.
Meanwhile, Anirudh Thapa was declared the 2017 Emerging Player of the Year.
E.Panthoi is the 2017 woman Emerging Player of the Year, the AIFF said in a statement.
The award for best grassroots development programme went to the state association of Kerala.
Hero Motocorp which sponsors the I-League, Indian Super League and the newly launched Super Cup, took home the AIFF Award for long-time contribution to Indian football.
Sumanta Datta of Assam was named the best assistant referee while the award for best referee went to C.R. Srikrishna.
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ISKCON urges Indian intervention following priest's arrest in Bangladesh
Dhaka: The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has called on the Indian government to take immediate steps to secure the release of its priest, Chinmoy Krishna Das, detained by Bangladeshi authorities. The arrest occurred near Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.
Das, a prominent ISKCON leader and former divisional organising secretary for Chattogram, faces sedition charges stemming from an October 25 incident. According to a case filed on October 31, 19 individuals, including Das, allegedly placed a saffron flag over the Bangladeshi flag on the Independent Pillar (Shadhinata Smathamva) during a rally organised by the Hindu community under the banner Sanatan Jagaran Mancha.
ISKCON has strongly denied any involvement in terrorism, describing the allegations as "baseless and unacceptable." In a statement, ISKCON declared, "It is outrageous to make baseless allegations that ISKCON has anything to do with terrorism anywhere in the world. ISKCON urges the Government of India to engage with Bangladesh to secure the release of Sri Chinmoy Krishna Das."
Hindu communities in Bangladesh have staged protests demanding better legal protection and the establishment of a minority affairs ministry under the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.
Meanwhile, Bangladeshi police have arrested two other suspects, Rajesh Chowdhury and Hriday Das, in connection with the case. The remaining accused include Ajay Dutta, Leela Raj Das Brahmachari, Gopal Das Tipu, and several others. ISKCON spokesperson Radharamn Das expressed concerns over Das's safety, stating that he had been moved to an undisclosed location by the police.
