South Korean Lee Keun Ho is AFC Player of the Year

Kuala Lumpur, Nov 30 (IANS) South Korean footballer Lee Keun Ho was named the AFC Player of the Year as his football club Ulsan Hyundai became one of the biggest winners at the AFC Annual Award gala, bagging the best player, best club and best coach awards.

The 27-year-old striker has put on a convincing performance in helping the Ulsan Hyundai claim the this year’s Asian Champions League champions without a single defeat. He was also awarded Most Valuable Player of the competition Thursday, reports Xinhua.

Lee said he was excited to win the prestigious award, while praising the other two contenders, China’s national football team skipper Zheng Zhi and 2004 AFC Player of the Year Mohammad Ali Karimi.

Lee’s coach Kim Ho Kon was named the AFC Coach of the Year Award.

Aya Miyama of Japan won the AFC Women’s Player of the Year, the second time in a row, and her Japan Olympic National Team which won the silver medal in London was awarded the best team of the year for women.

Meanwhile, the two newly launched awards, AFC Foreign Player of the Year and Asian International Player of the Year, went to Brazilian player Rogerio De Assis Silva Coutinho of AFC Cup champions Kuwait SC and Japanese midfielder Shinji Kagawa of English Premier League giants Manchester United.

Hamza Abu Samah from Malaysia, the longest serving AFC president, was awarded the Diamond of Asia Award for his “ formidable legacy of leadership, vision and determination” when he was in charge of the Asian football governing body from 1978 until 1994.

IANS 2012-11-30 12:36:19