Canada's Yvette Yong and Russia's Rafael Kamalov have been named as the International Military Sports Council Athletes of the Year ©World Taekwondo

Canada's Yvette Yong and Russia's Rafael Kamalov have been named as International Military Sports Council (CISM) Athletes of the Year 2018.

Able Seaman Yong of the Royal Canadian Navy was named Female Athlete of the Year 2018, while Private Kamalov of the Ground Forces of the Russian Federation was named Male Athlete of the Year. 

CISM is a multi-sport discipline organisation which aims to  promote sport activity between armed forces as a means of fostering peace.

It covers 26 sports and has 138 member nations. 

It is the first time in the organisation's 71-year history that one male and female athlete was selected for the award. 

Yvette Yong poses with some of her colleagues from the Royal Canadian Navy ©Royal Canadian Navy
Yvette Yong poses with some of her colleagues from the Royal Canadian Navy ©Royal Canadian Navy

Yong has previously represented Canada at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto and took bronze at the 2009 World Championships in Copenhagen. 

Kamalov most recently won gold at the World Taekwondo President's Cup for Europe region in Antalya.

The two awardees were selected following a three-phase selection process which culminated with a final vote by the CISM Board of Directors.

The candidate's accomplishments in 2018 were taken into account, as was their display of CISM's values of fair play and discipline. 

Yong and Kamalov are due toreceive their awards at the CISM General Assembly and Congress in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam from April 22 to 30.