Nominees announced for Badminton World Federation’s Night of Nights

Malaysia, Dec 06, 2018: Badminton World Federation’s (BWF Night of Nights) Player of the Year Awards, to be presented at the sport’s annual Gala Dinner next week in Guangzhou, will provide a fitting curtain raiser to the inaugural HSBC BWF World Tour Finals.

The prestigious awards night recognises the achievements of our elite badminton players and pairs in six categories.

Winners in five of the categories will be chosen by the BWF Awards Commission from a list of nominees while the Most Improved Player is special direct award from the Commission.

Indonesia’s all-conquering Men’s Doubles team of Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo are aiming for back-to-back crowns in the Male Player of the Year category.

Garden Grand Ball Room, Level 1, Garden Hotel, 368 Huanshi Dong Lu, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou

Japan’s Women’s Doubles pair Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota capped off a breakthrough season last year claiming the Most Improved Player of the Year award. This year they could go one better, nominated for Female Player of the Year alongside Tai Tzu Ying and Huang Yaqiong.

Lucas Mazur is again up for the Male Para-badminton Player of the Year award, his third nomination in a row, while Sujirat Pookkham is shortlisted alongside first-time nominees Yuma Yamazaki (Japan) and Leani Ratri Oktila (Indonesia).

FULL LIST OF NOMINEES/BWF Night

• Kento Momota (Men’s Singles, Japan)
Highlight: Winner – Total BWF World Championships 2018 & Badminton Asia Championships 2018
• Marcus Fernaldi Gideon/Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo (Men’s Doubles, Indonesia)
Highlight: 8 x Winner – HSBC BWF World Tour 2018 & Asian Games 2018
• Zheng Siwei (Mixed Doubles, China)
Highlight: Winner – Total BWF World Championships 2018 & Asian Games 2018

Male Player of the Year/BWF Night

Female Player of the Year

• Tai Tzu Ying (Women’s Singles, Taipei)
Highlight: 6 x Winner – HSBC BWF World Tour 2018 & Asian Games 2018
• Huang Yaqiong (Mixed Doubles, China)
Highlight: Winner – Total BWF World Championships 2018 & Asian Games 2018
• Yuki Fukushima/Sayaka Hirota (Women’s Doubles, Japan)
Highlight: 6 x Winner – HSBC BWF World Tour 2018

Eddy Choong Most Promising Player of the Year
• Apriyani Rahayu (Women’s Doubles, Indonesia)
Highlight: Winner – YONEX-SUNRISE DR. AKHILESH DAS GUPTA India Open 2018 & TOYOTA Thailand Open 2018
• He Jiting (Men’s Doubles & Mixed Doubles, China)
Highlight: Winner – VICTOR Korea Open 2018 (Mixed Doubles)
• Han Chengkai/Zhou Haodong (Men’s Doubles, China)
Highlight: Winner – YONEX French Open 2018
• Gregoria Mariska Tunjung (Women’s Singles, Indonesia)
Highlight: Semifinal – TOYOTA Thailand Open 2018 & DANISA Denmark Open 2018
• Goh Jin Wei (Women’s Singles, Malaysia)
Highlight: Winner – Youth Olympics Games 2018 & World Junior Championships 2018

Male Para-badminton Player of the Year

• Lucas Mazur (France)
Highlight: Winner – Men’s Singles SL4 & Mixed Doubles SL3-SU5 European Para-Badminton Championships 2018
• Cheah Liek Hou (Malaysia)
Highlight: Winner – Men’s Singles SU5 Dubai, Uganda, Turkey & Ireland Para-Badminton International 2018
• Jack Shephard (England)
Highlight: Winner – Men’s Singles SS6 & Men’s Doubles SS6 European Para-Badminton Championships 2018

Female Para-badminton Player of the Year

• Sujirat Pookkham (Thailand)
Highlight: Winner – Women’s Singles WH1 Spain, Turkey & Thailand Para-Badminton International 2018
• Yuma Yamazaki (Japan)
Highlight: Winner – Women’s Singles WH2 Spain, Turkey, Thailand & Japan Para-Badminton International 2018
• Leani Ratri Oktila (Indonesia)
Highlight: Winner – Women’s Doubles SL3-SU5 & Mixed Doubles SL3-SU5 Asian Para Games 2018

The Most Improved Player of the Year recognises outstanding advances in performance across all players and pairs and is selected at the discretion of the Awards Commission.

Most Improved Player of the Year

• Seo Seong Jae (Men’s Doubles & Mixed Doubles, Korea)
• Mayu Matsumoto/Wakana Nagahara (Women’s Doubles, Japan)
• Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chiraj Shetty (Men’s Doubles, India)
• He Jiting (Men’s Doubles & Mixed Doubles, China)
• Anthony Sinisuka Ginting (Men’s Singles, Indonesia). —- BWF