“Badminton Empress” Ahn Se-young (21-Samsung Life) has been named the World Badminton Federation (BWF) Player of the Year.
Ahn was named Player of the Year at the BWF World Tour Finals Gala Dinner in Hangzhou, China, on Nov. 11 (ET). She beat out her rivals Chen Yufei (CHN) and Akane Yamaguchi (JPN) for the honor.
Ahn became the first South Korean player to win both the Rookie of the Year (2019) and Player of the Year awards.
In her acceptance speech on the BWF’s official website, Ahn said, “This is a very happy day. It’s been a tiring year, but it’s the perfect ending to the year.” “I couldn’t be happier. I’m still young and I hope I can continue to achieve more.”
The momentum this season has been frightening.
Ahn swept all the major tournaments, including the All-England Open, World Championships, and Hangzhou Asian Games, reaching the top 10 on 10 occasions in 14 official appearances.
In August, she shocked the world by becoming the first woman to reach No. 1 in the women’s singles rankings in 27 years, after South Korean badminton legend Hwang Soo-hyun.
At the Hangzhou Asian Games, she won two gold medals in the team and individual events. The Asian Games women’s singles gold medal came 29 years after Hwang won the gold in Hiroshima in 1994.
At the World Championships, she also made history by becoming the first woman to win a singles title.
In the men’s competition, Seo Seung-jae (26-Samsung Life) was named Player of the Year.
Seo won the mixed doubles and men’s doubles titles at this year’s World Championships. He teamed up with Chae Yoo-jung (28-Incheon International Airport) and Kang Min-hyuk (24-Samsung Life). It was the first time in 24 years since 1999 that a double doubles title was won at the World Championships.
“I am very honored to receive this award (Player of the Year),” said Seo, who credited his teammates for the 먹튀검증 win, noting that it was not just his achievement alone, but also the contributions of his partners.
“I’ve never performed well on the big stage before because I thought I would lose before the semifinals or finals,” he said. “I’m grateful to the fans for supporting me and will do my best in the future.”