JAKARTA, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia's unbeaten WBA featherweight champion Chris John was chosen as the best athlete in 2005 by the country's most respected sports tabloid Bola on Friday.

    Chris John, 37-1-0 (19 KOs), defeated top shuttler Taufik Hidayat who won the world championship in 2005, a year after he stormed to victory in the Olympics.

    "This award is a big honor to me," said the 24-year-old boxer.

    But Taufik was chosen as the most favorite athlete in the tabloid's poll involving around 2 million readers.

    The best female athlete award went to Wynne Prakusya, who is struggling to comeback in professional career after years of injury.

    Chris John and Wynne won a prize of 10 million rupiah (1,111 U.S. dollars) each. Enditem