Kento Momota, winner of 10 titles this year including the TOTAL BWF World Championships, was honoured with the Male Player of the Year Award at the annual Players’ Gala before the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals in Guangzhou, China.
The Japanese had an outstanding season during which he won most of the major titles, including the World Championships, the Badminton Asia Championships, and the All England. He also guided Japan to the Sudirman Cup final.
Momota was chosen for the honour ahead of two-time winners Marcus Fernaldi Gideon/Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo, Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan and Zheng Si Wei.
Huang Ya Qiong picked up the Female Player of the Year for the second consecutive year, holding off competition from Chen Qing Chen/Jia Yi Fan, Yuki Fukushima/Sayaka Hirota and Tai Tzu Ying.
Huang and partner Zheng Si Wei were nearly unstoppable most of the season; not only did they win the World Championships for the second time, but also all three Super 1000 titles – All England Open, Indonesia Open, China Open.
China’s Qu Zimo, winner of 12 gold medals this year, won the Male Para Badminton Player of the Year Award, ahead of Pramod Bhagat, Lucas Mazur and Dheva Anrimusthi.
Indonesia’s Leani Ratri Oktila claimed her second successive Female Para Badminton Player of the Year Award. Oktila, whose season haul consisted of 12 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze, was chosen for the honour from a nomination list that included Sarina Satomi, Liu Yutong and Ayako Suzuki.
Korean women’s doubles pair Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong, who are in their first full season together, were voted Most Improved Player of the Year, ahead of fellow contenders Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty, Praveen Jordan/Melati Daeva Oktavianti, and Michelle Li.
Kim and Kong won four titles, including the Japan Open and the Korea Open.
Korea had more reason to cheer as 17-year-old women’s singles prodigy An Se Young was named Most Promising Player of the Year. An finished the year in the top 10 of the world rankings, with season highlights being title wins at the French Open, Korea Masters, Akita Masters, Canada Open, and New Zealand Open.
The other contenders for the Most Promising Player of the Year were Koki Watanabe, Leo Rolly Carnando/Daniel Marthin, and Kantaphon Wangchaoren.
BWF Player of the Year Award Winners
Male Player of the Year
Kento Momota (Men’s Singles, Japan)
Highlight: Winner – TOTAL BWF World Championships 2019; 10 titles overall
Female Player of the Year
Huang Ya Qiong (Mixed Doubles, China)
Highlight: Winner – TOTAL BWF World Championships 2019; six titles overall
Eddy Choong Most Promising Player of the Year
An Se Young (Women’s Singles, Korea)
Highlight: Five titles overall, including Yonex French Open 2019
Male Para Badminton Player of the Year
Qu Zimo (China): 12 gold
Female Para Badminton Player of the Year
Leani Ratri Oktila (Indonesia): 12 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze
Most Improved Player of the Year
Kim So Yeong/Kong Hee Yong (Women’s Doubles, Korea)