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.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
345 Indian fishermen stranded in Iran return home via Armenia
New Delhi (PTI): A group of 345 Indian fishermen, who were stranded in Iran amid escalating regional tensions, returned to India via Armenia on Saturday, officials said.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar thanked his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan for assistance in return of the Indian nationals.
The Indian nationals arrived in Chennai this evening, the officials cited above said.
The circumstances that led to them being stranded in Iran were not immediately known.
"Thank FM @AraratMirzoyan and the Government of Armenia for facilitating the evacuation of Indian fishermen today from Iran, through Armenia to India," Jaishankar said on social media.
Over 1,500 Indian nationals have left Iran through land border crossings in Armenia and Azerbaijan since the start of the West Asia conflict over a month ago.
"A group of Indian fishermen, stranded in Iran, are returning home via Armenia today; their flight is expected to reach India this evening," a government statement said.
It said the Ministry of External Affairs continues to closely monitor the evolving situation in the West Asian region, with the safety, security and welfare of the Indian community being accorded the highest priority.
It also made a mention of five Indians being injured in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
According to Abu Dhabi authorities, the Indian nationals were among the 12 people injured by debris from an intercepted missile.
"In an attack in Abu Dhabi, five Indian nationals were injured; four have been discharged, one remains under treatment," the Indian government's statement said.
It said the Indian mission in Abu Dhabi is extending "full" assistance and coordinating with local authorities, adding that their flight is expected to reach India this evening.
