Tokyo Gold Medalist Pramod Bhagat Named ‘Badminton Player of the Year’

New Delhi. India’s Tokyo Paralympic gold medalist Pramod Bhagat is among six badminton players who have been nominated by the sport’s world body for the ‘Para Badminton Player of the Year’ award, but none of his compatriots are on the list of capable players awards. included. Reigning world champion Bhagat, who won a historic gold medal in the men’s individual SL3 category at the Tokyo Olympics in September, has been inducted along with five other nominees for Para Badminton’s Pair of the Year award alongside Manoj Sarkar. Sarkar won a bronze medal in the men’s individual SL3 category at the Tokyo Olympics.

Thirty-three-year-old Bhagat was diagnosed with polio at the age of four and came to the sport after watching his neighbor play. Initially he competed with capable players. Bhagat is currently the world number one and Asian champion in SL3. No Indian is included in the list of nominations for capable players. Danish players Viktor Axelsen and Anders Antonsen, Chinese Wang Yi Liu and Japanese Yuta Watanabe were nominated for Player of the Year.

In the individual women’s category, Tokyo Games gold medalist Chen Yu Fei of China, Carolina Marin of Spain, Tai Tzu Ying of Taipei and Akane Yamaguchi of Japan have been nominated as player of the year. The qualification deadline has been extended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has now been extended to the 2020 and 2021 seasons (November 1, 2019 to October 31). The winners will be announced on stage in Bali during the HSBC BWF World Tour in Indonesia in November / December. Two new award categories have been added for Best Couple of the Year and Para Badminton Couple of the Year.