The Badminton World Federation (BWF) can reveal the nominees for the BWF Player of the Year Awards 2020/2021.
Due to COVID-19, the eligibility period was extended to cover the 2020 and 2021 seasons (1 November 2019 to 31 October 2021), headlined by the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Two new award categories were introduced – Pair of the Year and Para Badminton Pair of the Year.
The BWF Awards Commission also wished to make special mention of the extraordinary journey of Guatemala’s Kevin Cordon across four Olympic Games and his stunning performances at Tokyo 2020 which took him to the semifinals.
Nominees
Male POTY - Anders Antonsen (DEN), Viktor Axelsen (DEN), Wang Yi Lyu (CHN), Yuta Watanabe (JPN)
Female POTY - Chen Yu Fei (CHN), Carolina Marin (ESP), Tai Tzu Ying (TPE), Akane Yamaguchi (JPN)
Pair of the Year - Kim Soyeang/ Kong Heeyong (KOR), Greysia Polii/ Apriyani Rahayu (INA), Wang Chi-Lin/ Lee Yang (TPE), Wang Yi Lyu/ Huang Dong Ping (CHN), Yuta Watanabe/ Arisa Higashino (JPN)
Most Promising POTY - Line Christophersen (DEN), Toma Junior Popov (FRA), Kunlavut Vitidsarn (THA), Brian Yang (CAN)
Most Improved POTY - Aaron Chia/ Soh Wooi Yik (MAS), Pornpawee Chochuwong (THA), Lee Zii Jia (MAS), Wang Chi-Lin/ Lee Yang (TPE)
Female Para badminton POTY - Cheng Hefang (CHN), Liu Yutong (CHN), Faustine Noel (FRA), Leani Ratri Oktila (INA), Sujirat Pookkham (THA), Sarina Satomi (JPN)
Male Para badminton POTY - Pramod Bhagat (IND), Cheah Liek Hou (MAS), Daiki Kajiwara (JPN), Kim Jungjun (KOR), Lucas Mazur (FRA), Qu Zimo (CHN)
Para badminton Pair of the Year - Pramod Bhagat/ Manoj Sarkar (IND), Kim Jungjun/ Lee Dong Seop (KOR), Mai Jianpeng/ Qu Zimo (CHN), Lucas Mazur/ Faustine Noel (FRA), Sarina Satomi/ Yuma Yamazaki (JPN), Hary Susanto/ Leani Ratri Oktila (INA)
The winners will be announced during the Bali Leg of the HSBC BWF World Tour in Indonesia.