BALI, INDONESIA (31st March 2026) – The Badminton Asia Gala Dinner in Bali Saturday night celebrated the outstanding achievements of Member Associations where awards were presented for various categories including the prestigious Member Excellence for Top 10 and Developing Member, and the Humanitarian Achiever Award.
Badminton Asia President Mr Kim Jong Soo, Chairman of the Badminton Association of Indonesia, Mr. Mohammad Fadil Imran and Badminton World Federation President Madam Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul graced the glittering inaugural Gala Dinner and awards programme.
“A special thank you to BWF President Madam Khunying for joining us and honouring us with her presence, and to PBSI for their support in making this event possible,” said Mr Kim in his opening address in which he also expressed his appreciation to the Member Associations, Exco Members and the secretariat staff for their dedication and continuous support.
Among the early awards presented last night were the Meritorious Service Awards which honoured officials that had dedicated their lives for the betterment of the sport.
The Governance & Leadership (Administration) Award was presented to Mr Mohammad Fadil Imran who was recognized for his elite governance for Badminton Association of Indonesia and also his leadership as Vice President of Badminton Asia.
The Meritorious Award for Coaching & Development (Athlete Pathway) was presented to Mr Askar Ormanov from the Kazakhstan Badminton Federation. Mr Askar had dedicated 25-years to building high-performance infrastructure and securing historic Olympic spots.
The third Meritorious Service Award for Technical Excellence (Field of Play) was presented to Mr Steve Cheng Wing Ki from Hong Kong China who had established the national umpire assessment and registration protocols. The second joint-winner for this category was Ajith Wijayasinghe from Sri Lanka, a technical officials pioneer and architect of international events.
Dmitriy Panarin was then revealed as the winner of the Asia Olympic Project Player of the Year. This award recognises players who had displayed extraordinary skill and dominance. Dmitriy Panarin had a great run winning the Bangladesh International and a commanding performance at the Iran Future Series last year.
For the Humanitarian Achiever Award, 13 Member Associations that had demonstrated unwavering commitment to using badminton as a tool for social good and community support, were recognised for their remarkable efforts.
The 13 members were Bhutan Badminton Federation, Turkmenistan Badminton Federation, Brunei National Badminton Association, Krygyzstan Badminton Association, Lebanese Badminton Federation, Mongolia Badminton Association, Pakistan Badminton Federation, Sri Lanka Badminton, Syria Badminton Federation, Timor Leste Badminton Federation, Tajikistan Badminton Federation, Iraq Badminton Federation and Palestine Badminton Federation. Due to the current conditions, the Iraq and Palestine federations were unable to attend the ceremony.
While all 13 members had carried out incredible work, one story of resilience stood out. The Palestine Badminton Federation was declared the winner of the important Humanitarian Achiever Award.
The highlight of the night was the presentation of the primary awards. The Chinese Badminton Association was revealed as the winner of the Member Excellence Award for Top 10 Countries. Mr Feng Pingshan, China BA Treasurer and Executive Deputy Secretary-General, received the award.
Tajikistan Badminton Federation was announced as the recipient of the Member Excellence Award for Developing Members. The award was presented to its President Mr Kabir Jurazoda.
Badminton Asia Treasurer Mr Jaseem Kanso earlier presented tokens or appreciation to their partners, Victor Rackets Industry Corporation, Reddentes Sports Private Limited, Beijing NanBeileKang Sports Culture Company Limited and Media Twenty Four Seven Sdn Bhd.
Prior to the Gala Dinner in the afternoon, the Badminton Asia AGM was attended by representatives from the various countries. “Over the past year, Badminton Asia has continued to make steady progress. We have strengthened our governance, improved our operations, and worked together to support the development of badminton across the region.” Mr Kim stressed in his opening speech.
“We have also successfully delivered key championships and development programs, providing valuable opportunities for our athletes, officials, and Member Associations. I would like to sincerely thank the Executive Committee, the Secretariat, and all Member Associations for your continued support and dedication.
Mr Kim called on all members to continue working together to further strengthen badminton and build a brighter future for the sport in Asia.
LIST OF AWARDS
Meritorious Service Awards
Governance & Leadership (Administration): Mr Mohammad Fadil Imran, President Badminton Association of Indonesia and Vice President of Badminton Asia
Coaching & Development (Athlete Pathway): Mr Askar Ormanov, Kazakhstan Badminton Federation
Technical Excellence (Field of Play): Mr Steve Cheng Wing Ki, Hong Kong China and Ajith Wijayasinghe from Sri Lanka
Asia Olympic Project Player of the Year: Dmitriy Panarin
Humanitarian Achiever Award: Palestine Badminton Federation
Member Excellence Award for Developing Members: Tajikistan Badminton Federation
Member Excellence Award for Top 10 Countries: Chinese Badminton Association
