Despite being pipped by Dempo's Ranty Martins in the NFL goalscoring charts, Bhaichung Bhutia has been adjudged the Best Player of the 10th ONGC National Football League.
The coaches and captains of the NFL teams had voted Bhutia as the best player, All India Football Federation president Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi said.
Bhutia, who scored 12 goals for East Bengal in the NFL campaign, also got the 'Best Forward' award while JCT Mills, Phagwara, won the Fairplay award for receiving the lowest number of cards (8) in the 81-match championship won by Mumbai's Mahindra United for the first time.
Other winners were:
Best Goalkeeper: Sandip Nandy (Mahindra United)
Jarnail Singh award for Best Defender: Mahesh Gawli (MU)
Best Midfielder: Shanmugam Ventatesh (MU)
Top goalscorer: Ranty Martins (Dempo) - 14
Club scoring highest goals: Dempo (29)
First hat-trick scorer: Ranty Martins (Dempo).
