Before the second half of the season really gets underway and tournaments are once again in full swing, we would like to take a moment to look back at one of the major governance highlights, namely the BEC Awards Ceremony.

11 awards were presented on what was an incredibly beautiful evening in Belgrade, Serbia. Bobby Griffin, former para badminton player and now badminton commentator, hosted the show and ensured everything ran smoothly.

In total, eight awards were presented to players and coaches for their achievements in 2024:

• Male Player of the Year – Viktor Axelsen
• Female Player of the Year – Carolina Marin
• Young Player of the Year – Kaloyana Nalbantova
• Para-Badminton Player of the Year – Charles Noakes
• Senior Player of the Year – Dan Travers
• Coach of the Year – Kęstutis Navickas
• European Fan Player of the Year – Polina Buhrova
• Shot of the Year – Nadeem Dalvi

In addition, the Social Media Award is given each year to one or more people who have managed to create a platform that promotes the sport of badminton and generates excitement among their followers. This year, the award went to Greg and Jenny Mairs – Badminton Insight.

The Technical Official Award was given to Malcolm Banham, who for decades has carried out outstanding work for Technical Officials.

Finally, the newest member of Badminton Europe’s Hall of Fame was also honoured. This year, it was at long last Poul-Erik Høyer who was recognised, not only for his incredible playing career but also for his great and tireless work to promote the sport, both as President of Badminton Europe and most recently as President of the BWF, a position from which he stepped down from earlier this year, thereby allowing him to be celebrated as the newest member of Badminton Europe’s Hall of Fame.

All in all, it was a magnificent evening in Belgrade, and we extend our thanks to the Badminton Association of Serbia as well as to everyone who attended for a fantastic night.