Iranian futsal player Ali Asghar Hassanzadeh Navlighi has been awarded the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Futsal Player of the Year title.

During a grand ceremony at the Aksra Theatre King Power in the Thai capital city of Bangkok on Wednesday, the 30-year-old Iranian sportsman, who currently plays for Sanaye Giti Pasand club in the Iranian Futsal Super League and the Iran national futsal team, stood ahead of compatriot Tohid Lotfi and Thailand’s forward Jirawat Sornwichian.

Hassanzadeh Navlighi, who had earlier received the award in 2014 and 2016, now joins the ranks of compatriot Vahid Shamsaei, who also won the accolade thrice in 2007, 2008 and 2015.

According to the latest monthly classification published by the Asociación Mundial de Futsal (AMF), which is the governing body of futsal, the Iran men's national futsal team has preserved its position as Asia’s best and is in the fifth place of the world’s overall standings. Team Melli Futsal earned 1,611 points.

Kazakhstan maintained the 9th slot in the latest AMF rankings with 1,487 points. The Central Asians are followed by their Japanese and Thai counterparts, who have claimed the 15th and 17th places respectively with 1,355 and 1,310 points.

Brazil is the top-ranked futsal team in the world with 1,931 points. Spaniards notched up 1,878 points to sit in the second position, while third-placed Russians kept their position with 1,762 points. Argentina collected 1,683 points to stand fourth.