Source: REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
[Saba Sports News] The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has announced significant reforms to its Player of the Year awards system, aiming to enhance the prestige and transparency of the awards while involving more stakeholders in the selection process. This reform will take effect starting in 2024, with new winners announced at the BWF year-end gala on December 9. Compared to last year, five new awards have been added this year to recognize the best players or pairs in men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. Additionally, two new awards voted on by players—the Best Male Player and Best Female Player—will replace the previous Most Improved Player award. The evaluation period for each award runs from December 1 to November 30 of the following year, with this year’s final event included being the 2024 China Masters. Under the new selection system, both world ranking points and expert panel votes will be considered. The expert panel consists of outstanding players, coaches, commentators, and media members in the badminton field. The evaluation will take into account players’ performances in BWF World Tour Super 750 and Super 1000 events, the 2024 Paris Olympics or subsequent World Championships, as well as the BWF World Tour Finals. Notably, world ranking points will carry significant weight in the final evaluation results, reflecting players’ stability and excellent performance throughout the year.