The Badminton World Federation, on Friday, announced the draws for the upcoming 2024 Thomas and Uber Cup tournaments in Chengdu, China.
The Indian men’s team, who are the reigning Thomas Cup champions, were drawn in Group C alongside Indonesia – the most successful team in the competition’s history with 14 titles.
India, however, had defeated Indonesia 3-0 in the final of the 2022 Thomas Cup to win their first-ever title in Bangkok.
The other two teams in Group C are Thailand and England. The top two teams from each group after a round robin stage will advance to the knockouts phase, starting with the quarter-finals.
The Indian team had qualified for the 2024 Thomas Cup automatically by virtue of being the defending champions.
Indian women drawn with China
Meanwhile, the Indian women’s team was drawn alongside 15-time winners and top seeds China in Group A for the 2024 Uber Cup.
India, who are three time semi-finalists in the competition, will also face a stiff challenge from Canada and Singapore in the group stage. Much like the Thomas Cup, the top two teams from each group will advance to the knockouts stage in the Uber Cup.
The Indian women’s team had earlier qualified for the 2024 Uber Cup after their title-winning run at the Badminton Asia Team Championships in February.
The 2024 Thomas and Uber Cup tournaments are slated to be held from April 28 to May 5 in Chengdu.
Thomas Cup Groups
Group A: China, Republic of Korea, Canada, Australia
Group B: China, Republic of Korea, Canada, Australia
Group C: Indonesia, India, Thailand, England
Group D: Denmark, Malaysia, Hong Kong China, Algeria
Uber Cup Groups
Group A: China, India, Canada, Singapore
Group B: Thailand, Chinese Taipei, Malaysia, Australia
Group C: Japan, Indonesia, Hong Kong China, Uganda
Group D: South Korea, Denmark, USA, Mexico