Vote for The Times of India Best Indian Footballer of 2016

Goal are partnering with The Times of India in presenting the Best Indian Footballer of the Year award as part of The Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) 2017. 

TOISA endeavours to honour the past, celebrate the present and nurture the future in Indian sports. Which is why the TOISA awards also feature recognitions in 18 other sports popular in the country with additional awards honouring the best sports team and an emerging athlete of the year.   

Indian national team skipper Sunil Chhetri and the inaugural Goal 25 winner Jeje Lalpekhlua are the nominees for The Times of India - Goal football award. 

This award recognises the extraordinary efforts of these two stars over the past year in Indian football and for having played the game with integrity and contributed to the development of football in the country. 

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Indian national team skipper Sunil Chhetri has had a marvellous 2016. He was the torchbearer of Bengaluru FC, inspiring the I-League champions all the way to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup final in 2016. The inspirational footballer, who plies his trade for Mumbai City FC in the Indian Super League (ISL), has also been at the forefront of the national team's recent resurgence in rankings. The all-time I-League top scorer needs absolutely no introduction. 

Mizoram-born Jeje Lalpekhlua also has had a brilliant year, helping the Indian team win the SAFF Cup championship in January 2016 and later on playing a key role in Mohun Bagan’s Federation Cup triumph. The striker has been one of the most consistent performers for the national team and Mohun Bagan last season. The Chennaiyin FC forward has scored seven goals for India in his last seven appearances and had an enviable tally of 19 goals in 28 appearances for Mohun Bagan in the 2015-16 season. 

Both Chhetri and Jeje have strong credentials to win this honour which is not surprising at all, given their stature in Indian football right now. 

The winner will be determined by a voting process and you can cast your vote here.