The Thomas Cup, sometimes called the World Men's Team Championships, is an international badminton competition among teams representing member nations of the Badminton World Federation (BWF), the sport's global governing body. The championships have been conducted every two years since the 1982, amended from being conducted every three years since the first tournament held in 1948–1949.
Badminton had its debut as an official medal sport at the 1992 Summer Olympics. It was held from 28 July to 4 August 1992. Four events were held in the first competition of the sport: men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, and women's doubles. Badminton was contested in the Pavelló de la Mar Bella. 36 nations entered competitors, with a total of 177 entrants. Asian nations won fifteen of the sixteen medals, with their dominance being broken only by Denmark's bronze medal in the men's singles.
Wong Peng Soon, was a Malayan/Singaporean badminton player who reigned as a top player in Malaya from the 1930s to the 1950s when it was a single nation. Noted for his smooth but powerful strokes and graceful footwork, he won the singles title seven times in Singapore and eight times in Malaya during this period, as well as being the top player in the All England, the Danish Open, the Indian and Philippines championships to name a few.
The 1952 Thomas Cup competition is an international team tournament for supremacy in men's badminton. Beginning in 1948–49, it was held every three years until 1982 and thereafter has been held every two years. Twelve national teams contested for the Thomas Cup in the 1951-1952 badminton season, the tournament's second edition. According to the rules then in place Malaya was exempt from earlier ties, needing only to defend its title in a conclusive challenge round tie. The other contestants were divided into three regional qualifying zones, the Pacific, Europe, and Pan America, for the early ties. The winners of each zone then played-off in Malaya for the right to face Malaya in the challenge round. For a more detailed description of the Thomas Cup format see Wikipedia's general article on the Thomas Cup.
The 1955 Thomas Cup competition is an international team tournament for supremacy in men's badminton. Beginning in 1948–49, it was held every three years until 1982 and has been held every two years thereafter. Twenty-one national teams officially entered the third Thomas Cup series in 1954-1955 but two of these, Belgium and Burma, defaulted their opening ties. Four qualifying zones were established: Asia, Australasia, Europe and Pan America. Winners from each zone played-off in Singapore in late May and early June for the right to play Malaya which, as defending champion, was exempt until it met a challenger in a conclusive challenge round tie. For a more detailed description of the Thomas Cup format see Wikipedia's general article on the Thomas Cup.
The 1960 Uber Cup, held during the 1959-1960 badminton season, was the second edition of the women's international badminton championship. The ties between zone winning nations took place in April 1960. Having won the previous tournament in 1957, the United States hosted the final round in Philadelphia.
The 1958 Thomas Cup competition is an international team tournament for supremacy in men's badminton. Beginning in 1948–49 it was held every three years until 1982 and has been held every two years thereafter. Nineteen teams contested for the Thomas Cup during the 1957-1958 season. As defending champion Malaya was exempt until the conclusive tie called the challenge round. The other eighteen teams were divided into four qualifying zones; Asia, Australasia, Europe, and Pan America; with the winners of each intra-zone competition advancing to inter-zone competition in Singapore to determine a challenger to Malaya. For a more detailed description of the Thomas Cup format see Wikipedia's general article on the Thomas Cup.
The 1961 Thomas Cup competition is an international team tournament for supremacy in men's badminton. Beginning in 1948–49 it was held every three years until 1982 and thereafter every two years. Nineteen teams, eighteen of them starting from four regional qualifying zones, Asia, Australasia, Europe, and Pan America, contested for the Thomas Cup during the 1960-1961 seasons. Zone winners then played-off in Jakarta, Indonesia for the right to face defending champion Indonesia, in a conclusive challenge round. For a more detailed description of the Thomas Cup format, see Wikipedia's general article on the Thomas Cup.
The 1964 Thomas Cup competition is an international team tournament for supremacy in men's badminton. Beginning in 1948–49 it was held every three years until 1982 and thereafter it has been held every two years. Twenty-six national teams, each starting from one of four qualifying zones, vied for the Thomas Cup during the 1963-1964 badminton season. Qualifying zone winners played-off in Tokyo, Japan for the right to face defending champion Indonesia, which was exempt from earlier ties, in a conclusive challenge round tie. Prior to 1964 the defending champion nation had regularly hosted both the inter-zone playoffs and the challenge round, but a rules change effective that year prevented the same defending champion nation from having this advantage for two successive Thomas Cup seasons. For a more detailed description of the Thomas Cup format see Wikipedia's general article on the Thomas Cup.
Datuk Tan Aik Huang is a Malaysian retired badminton player noted for his footwork and patience. He was a former All England Open champion, having won the men's singles title in 1966. Tan was a member of four Malaysian Thomas Cup teams including its world champion team of 1967. He also won numerous major international singles titles during the mid- and late 1960s including the Danish Open, the US Open, the Canadian Open, the Malaysian Open and the Singapore Open. Additionally, Tan holds the distinction of being the first Malaysian shuttler in the Commonwealth Games to win gold medals in two individual events. He is the elder brother of Tan Aik Mong.
The 1967 Thomas Cup was the seventh tournament of Thomas Cup, the most important men's badminton team competition in the world. The inter-zone matches and Challenge Round finale were held in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The 1970 Thomas Cup was the eighth tournament of Thomas Cup, the most important men's badminton team competition in the world. The final set of ties were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The 1973 Thomas Cup was the ninth edition of the Thomas Cup, the world championship of men's international team badminton. The final set of ties involving regional zone winners and the defending champion nation were held in Jakarta, Indonesia in late May and early June 1973. Beginning in 1948–49 the tournament was held every three years until 1982 and has been held every two years thereafter. For more details on the format of Thomas Cup competition see Wikipedia's general article on the Thomas Cup.
The 1976 Thomas Cup was the tenth edition of Thomas Cup, the world championship of men's international team badminton. The final rounds contested by qualifying teams were held in Bangkok, Thailand in late May and early June. First played in 1948–49, the Thomas Cup competition was held every three years after that until 1982 and has been held every two years since. For more details on the format of past and present Thomas Cup competition see Wikipedia's general article on the Thomas Cup.
The 1979 Thomas Cup was the 11th edition of the Thomas Cup competition, the world championship of men's international team badminton. The final rounds contested by qualifying zone winners and defending champions Indonesia were held at the Istora Senayan in Jakarta, Indonesia in late May and early June. First played in 1948–49, the Thomas Cup competition was held every three years until 1982, and since then has been held every two years.
The 1975 Uber Cup was the seventh edition of the Uber Cup, the women's badminton team competition. The tournament took place in the 1974-75 badminton season, 14 countries competed. Indonesia won its first title in the Uber Cup, after beating the defending champion Japan in the Final Round in Jakarta.
Goh V Shem is a Malaysian badminton player in the doubles event. He was partnered with Tan Wee Kiong after their outstanding performance at the 2014 Thomas Cup. Together, Goh and Tan won the gold medal for the men's doubles event at the 2014 Commonwealth Games as well as all their matches in the mixed team event, helping Malaysia retain the gold medal for the third consecutive time. They also won the bronze medal at the 2014 Asian Games and the silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, thus making them the second ever Malaysian men's doubles pair to win the silver medal at the Olympic Games 20 years after the feat was achieved by Cheah Soon Kit and Yap Kim Hock in 1996 Atlanta. Goh and Tan are also the fourth Malaysian men's doubles pair to hold the world number 1 ranking after Cheah and Yap followed by Chan Chong Ming and Chew Choon Eng, and later on by Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong ever since official rankings were kept in the 80s.
Ismail bin Marjan was a badminton player from Malaya/Singapore who had won many individual and doubles titles at local, regional and international competitions throughout the 1940s and 1950s. He was best known for his doubles prowess as he partnered Ong Poh Lim to win several major honors in Asia and Europe. Ismail was the first Malay to have won the prestigious Thomas Cup.
Helen Heng Siak Neo was a Singaporean badminton player who won numerous titles in the late 1940s to the mid 1950s. She was Singapore's badminton star of the 1950s and was the youngest winner of the Malaysia Open women's singles and doubles titles when she won it at the age of 15. Helen was also the most successful female shuttler in Singapore Open history with 15 titles and the first female player from Singapore to participate in the Uber Cup as part of the Malayan team in 1956.
The qualifying process for the 1952 Thomas Cup took place from 30 June 1951 to 24 March 1952 to decide the final teams which will play in the final tournament.
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