Srinagar: While football fans in Kashmir are ecstatic to see Muhammad Hammad bagging best defender award in I-League 2023-24 season, they also feel sad to see Real Kashmir FC goalkeeper Muheet Shabir getting robbed from his deserving best keeper award of the league.
As the I-League 2023-24 season concluded , Muheet Shabir was hot favourite to bag I-League best goalkeeper award after having been terrific for the best defensive side in entire league. He himself was confident and the local J&K Football Association had congratulated him in advance before the culminatiom of season for the golden glove award. They had congratulated Muheet on the basis of the clean sheets in the league without waiting for the official award announcement.
On Wednesday, I League announced its list of awards in which Real Kashmir FC’s captain Muhammad Hammad was named as the best defender of the I-League 2023-24 and winner of the Jarnail Singh Award.
Real Kashmir conceded only 19 goals from their 24 matches. For that Hammad was announced as the winner of the Jarnail Singh Award for Best Defender.
Meanwhile Gokulam Kerala FC’s Spaniard Alejandro Sanchez Lopez finished as the top scorer of the league with 19 goals from 22 appearances, a feat that won him both the Highest Scorer and the Best Player awards.
Padam Chettri of Mohammedan Sporting was named the winner of the Best Goalkeeper award.
Mirajlol Kasimov played a pivotal role in orchestrating Mohammedan’s attacks and has been named the Best Midfielder of the season.
Nineteen-year-old winger Gymar Nikum has been named as the Best Emerging player of the season, having scored four goals in Inter Kashi’s fourth-placed finish.
With 15 wins, seven draws, and only two losses under his belt, Mohammedan Sporting head coach Andrey Chernyshov earned the Syed Abdul Rahim Award for the Best Coach of the season.
TRAU FC did not have much to look forward to in a season they got relegated, but have been one of the most disciplined sides in the league, and have been named as the winners of the Fair Play award.
Muheet Shabir not getting the best goalkeeper award has not sit well with the Kashmir football fans and the senior players who have been keeping track of every stat in the league.
As per I-League season stats, Muheet has most clean sheets with 12 out of 22 games. Muheet has 61 saves in league compared to Padam Chettri’s 58.
In the light of stats, everyone was hoping that Muheet would be named as best keeper but I-League named Padam Chettri as the best keeper.
As per officials, awards are given on the basis of voting from Club Captains and Managers.