(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
MUSCAT: Al Sadd's influential defender Abdulkarim Hassan on Wednesday was named AFC Asian Player of the Year, beating Kashima Antlers' Yuma Suzuki and Kento Misao to the top award.
Hassan, one of Qatar teams' key players, received the glittering trophy from AFC President Salman Bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The 25-year-old also became the second Qatari to be named AFC Asian Player of the Year after Khalfan Ibrahim won the same trophy in 2006.
"I am very happy to receive this award. It is an honour not just for me but my club and country," Hassan said after receiving the trophy.
'It has been a long journey. I begin with my thanks to the Almighty for this honour. Then I would like to thank my family, my club mates and the players who played with me when I was young, Hassan said.
'I also want to thank the coaches at club and national team level. Their support and guidance have brought me to this stage, Hassan added in his brief speech.
The Al Sadd left-back played a key role in his club's advance to the 2018 AFC Champions League semi-finals and runners-up finish in the 2017-18 Qatar Stars League season.
He remains a key player in the Qatar national side and the winning the award will boost his morale ahead of the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019.
The Doha native graduated from the Aspire Academy and was only 17 when he first played in the 2011 AFC Champions League, coming off the bench against Esteghlal.
Al Sadd went on to win the AFC Champions League title that year .
Hassan continued to progress and was named the Young Player of the Year in the 201213 Qatar Stars League.
Also yesterday, Wang Shuang became the fourth player from China PR to win the coveted AFC Women's Player of the Year.
Shuang, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain in the Division 1 Féminine, claimed the award for the first time, following an impressive year at both club and international level.
In another key award presentation, former Japan national team captain Makoto Hasebe was named the 2018 AFC Asian International Player of the Year after a sterling season for country and his German Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt.
Hasebe skippered Japan in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia where the Blue Samurai were the only Asian team to advance to the knockout stage before suffering a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to Belgium in the Round of 16.
It was his third FIFA World Cup as Japan captain, having also skippered the side who emerged champions in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. Masebe, 34, announced his retirement from international football after the FIFA World Cup, having made 114 appearances for Japan. Iran's Aliasghar Hasanzadeh yesterday named the 2018 AFC Futsal Player of the Year, winning the prestigious honour for the fourth time.
'I am very pleased with this award. This will give me more power, more desire to do even better next year. This reminds me that I cannot stop, I must continue to give my best every time I enter the court, said Hasanzadeh.
Hasanzadeh, 31, also won the award in 2014, 2016 and 2017, surpassing compatriot Vahid Shamsaei who won the accolade in 2007, 2008 and 2015.
This year Hasanzadeh was Iran's Most Valuable Player, contributing 12 goals to steer them to the AFC Futsal Championship title in Chinese Taipei. In continental club competition, Hasanzadeh proved why he is the best when he guided Mes Sungun of Iran to their maiden AFC Club Futsal Championship in Yogyakarta
In the coaching awards, Kashima Antlers head coach Go Oiwa was named the AFC Men's Coach of the Year yesterday.
Oiwa steered Kashima Antlers to the 2018 AFC Champions League title after defeating Iranian giants Persepolis FC 2-0 on aggregate, for the Japanese club's first Continental crown.
Oiwa, 46, has been head coach of Kashima since May 2017, having been part of the coaching squad at the club since 2011
Also yesterday, Japan's Asako Takakura was named the AFC Women's Coach of the Year for a historic sixth time.
'I feel very proud that I have this honour almost every year. But this is really for my players and all coaches who have given so much to the game.
'Of course, we aim to win the World Cup next year. And I am confident that with unity, we can make our country proud, said Takakura. Takakura, who previously won the award in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017, guided Japan to the 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup Jordan, with the Nadeshiko defeating Australia 1-0 in the final to defend the title won in 2014.
Japan also claimed the 2018 Asian Games Indonesia gold medal, defeating China PR 1-0 in the final.
Meanwhile, Zhang Jilong of China PR yesterday announced the recipient of the AFC Diamond of Asia Award 2018 for his faithful servitude of more than 25 years to Asian football.
AFC President Shaikh Salman recently presented the award to Zhang Jilong in Beijing. The AFC's top accolade is the perfect recognition to a man who brought calm and peace to the Confederation at a critical point in its history and is true recognition of his service to football.
Through his tireless devotion, Zhang Jilong has been instrumental in raising the standards of football in the Continent.
Born on February 9, 1952 in Yantai City in Shandong province, Zhang has dedicated more than four decades of outstanding service to sport and football.
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