In addition to Prannoy, World Para-Badminton Championships gold medalists Pramod Bhagat and Manisha Ramadass and bronze medalists Manasi Joshi and Nithya Sre Sumathy are also up for BWF’s Most Improved Player of the Year award.
The BWF’s “Most Improved Player of the Year” award has been nominated for H.S. Prannoy, the hero of India’s historic Thomas Cup victory.
The complete list of players who have been nominated for each of the Badminton World Federation’s eight awards was made public on Monday.
World no12 Prannoy had a stellar 2022, leading India to its first Thomas Cup team championship in Bangkok in May. After the French Open quarterfinals, no one could knock Prannoy out of the qualifying zone.
He won a memorable match against Rasmussen Gemke of Denmark in the Thomas Cup semifinal to advance India to the final. Prannoy, who was playing with an ankle injury, lost the first game 13-21 before defeating Gemke 21-9, 21-12.
He also defeated Anthony Ginting, Lakshya Sen, Ng Ka Long Angus, Chou Tien Chen, Kento Momota, Loh Kean Yew, Zhao Jun Peng, and Liew Daren throughout the year.
Along with Prannoy, World Para-Badminton Championships gold medalists Pramod Bhagat and Manisha Ramadass and bronze medalists Manasi Joshi and Nithya Sre Sumathy have been nominated for the awards. Prannoy has also qualified for his first BWF World Tour Finals, which will be held in Bangkok from December 7 to 11.
The only male singles player who has been nominated for the “Most Improved Player of the Year” award is Prannoy. Women’s doubles duo Jeong Na Eun-Kim Hye Jeong, who won the Korea Open and Japan Open in 2022, will challenge him fiercely.
Indonesian men’s duplicate sets of Fajar Alfian-Muhammad Rian Ardianto have additionally been assigned for the esteemed honor.
The BWF World Rankings for men’s doubles place Fajar and Ardianto in third place after they won four World Tour titles: the Denmark Open, Malaysia Masters, Indonesia Masters, and Swiss Open.
On December 5, the annual awards ceremony will take place alongside the BWF World Tour Finals 2022 gala dinner.
Read Also:- Final BWF World Tour Event: Sindhu and Prannoy will compete in the season finale