SEOUL, December 16 (AJP) - Badminton player An Se-young has been named this year's top player by the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
The world No. 1 in women's singles received the award at the BWF's annual gala dinner in Hangzhou, China on Monday, beating competitors such as Wang Zhiyi and Chen Yufei of China, and Japan's Akane Yamaguchi.
With the award, An became the first female player to win it three years in a row, having first received the honor in 2023 following her triumph at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
An was also voted the best player by her fellow players for the second consecutive year, a recognition that was first created last year.
She expressed her thanks, saying, "Receiving these awards is both an honor and an encouragement to work harder. Winning proves my efforts, but being recognized by fellow players makes it even more special."
An competed in 14 international tournaments this year and secured 10 victories, breaking her own record of nine wins set in 2023.
While in the Chinese city, An is set to play in the BWF World Tour Finals later this week. A victory would tie her with former Japanese player Kento Momota's 2019 record of 11 wins in a single season.
* This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.