Axelsen, Yamaguchi, Zheng / Huang claim BWF Player of the Year 2022 awards
The world champions take the top crowns for Male, Female, and Pairs Players of the Year at the BWF Gala in Bangkok.
Badminton
In the end, there was no surprise as to the identity of the top winners at the BWF Player of the Year awards 2022.
Badminton world champions Viktor Axelsen, Yamaguchi Akane, and Zheng Siwei / Huang Yaqiong respectively took home the Male Player, Female Player, and Pair of the Year awards in Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday (5 December).
Axelsen and Yamaguchi are also the respective world number one players in each of their categories, while Zheng and Huang have reached at least the semi-finals at all 11 of their major tournaments this year, winning nine titles.
Denmark's Axelsen beat out Lee Zii Jia (Malaysia) and Loh Kean Yew (Singapore) to the male award, while Japanese shuttler Yamaguchi saw off An Seyoung (Rep. of Korea) and Tai Tzu-ying (Chinese Taipei) to the women's crown.
Japan's Naraoka Kodai, who has had a breakthrough year qualifying for the BWF World Tour Finals, was named Most Promising Player, while Indonesian men's doubles pair Fajar Alfian / Muhammad Rian Ardianto won Most Improved Player.
The awards recognised performances from 1 November 2021 through 31 October 2022, with the cut-off date extended to 6 November 2022 for the para badminton awards to take into account the 2022 Para Badminton World Championships.
Full list of winners
- Male Player of the Year: Viktor Axelsen (DEN)
- Female Player of the Year: Yamaguchi Akane (JPN)
- Pair of the Year: Zheng Siwei / Huang Yaqiong (CHN)
- Eddy Choong Most Promising Player of the Year: Naraoka Kodai (JPN)
- Most Improved Player of the Year: Fajar Alfian / Muhammad Rian Ardianto (INA)
- Male Para Badminton Player of the Year: Kajiwara Daiki (JPN)
- Female Para Badminton Player of the Year: Manisha Ramadass (IND)
- Para Badminton Pair of the Year: Thomas Wandschneider / Rick Cornell Hellman (GER)