Thailand to host top world badminton events in 2022

Thailand is set to host the the world’s top badminton events next year after being chosen as the location for the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup finals. The Thomas Cup is the men’s team event, and the Uber Cup is for the women’s teams. The tournament is set to take place in Bangkok between May 8-15. This is the 2nd time that these events will be held in Thailand, as Bangkok hosted this same tournament in 2018. Thailand had to apply to the Badminton World Federation to be selected as the host.

Asian nations have typically been dominant on the global badminton stage, with China, Japan, and Indonesia having taken home by far the most tournament wins. China has been the team to beat in recent years. They have won 6 out of the last 9 Thomas Cups and 10 out of the last 12 Uber Cups. But Thailand is emerging as a successful contender, especially the women’s team.

The Thai ladies’ team won the bronze medal in the 2020 Uber Cup, after having lost in the semifinals to powerhouse China. The tournament was held this past weekend in Aarhus, Denmark after having been postponed for a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The team also won silver back in 2018 in Bangkok, which is the best international tournament result of any Thai badminton team. They also won bronze in the 2012 cup in Wuhan, China.

This year, China’s Uber Cup team defeated defending champions Japan 3-1 in the final. Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi beat the Chinese gold medalist Chen Yufai in the first singles match. But, China went on to win the other singles match and both doubles matches, one of which was a dramatic 2 hour marathon. This secured China’s 3-1 victory. However, in the men’s Thomas Cup, China was beaten in a massive upset by the Indonesian team.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post