Indian international Sandesh Jhingan won the Arjuna Award in the football category on Friday. The award will be handed over to the Emerging Player of the League from the inaugural season of the Hero Indian Super League on August 29. Along with Jhingan, Indian football legend Sukhwinder Singh will be honoured with the Dhyan Chand Award at the National Sports Awards 2020.

Jhingan has made 76 appearances for Kerala Blasters FC across five Hero ISL seasons, establishing himself not only as a firm fan-favourite, but also as a leader in the dressing room. After missing out on the entirety of last season through an injury, the defender mutually parted ways with the Kochi-based club in May.

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Meanwhile, Sukhwinder Singh, who has served as the Indian senior national team and the U-23 team coach, became just the third footballer to be awarded the Dhyan Chand Award. Sukhwinder won the SAFF Championship with the senior team in 1998 and with the youth side in 2009.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) had recommended the names of Jhingan, as well as Rangers FC forward Ngangom Bala Devi for the Arjuna Award but the Indian women's football team star missed out. Prior to Jhingan, 26 other footballers have won the prestigious award in the past, including the likes of Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Subrata Paul and Sunil Chhetri.

Arjuna Awards are given to honour excellence in sports by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in India.

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