Daijiworld Media Network - Horsens
Horsens, Apr 30: The Indian men’s badminton team will take on Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals of the BWF Thomas Cup Finals 2026 after the knockout draw was announced on Thursday.
India, champions of the 2022 edition, finished second in Group A. The team secured convincing victories over Canada (4-1) and Australia (5-0) in their opening matches but went down 3-2 against powerhouse China in their final group encounter on Wednesday.
Chinese Taipei had a tense journey to the knockout stage, narrowly making it through after a high-pressure Group C clash against hosts Denmark. They needed a full team effort to edge past the hosts and secure their quarterfinal spot.
In other quarterfinal matchups, defending champions China—who topped Group A with an unbeaten record—will face Malaysia. Group B winners Japan are set to play France, who caused a major upset by eliminating 14-time champions Indonesia. Meanwhile, Denmark will go up against Thailand.
Historically, Indonesia remains the most successful team in the tournament, followed by China with 11 titles. Over the years, the competition has seen several memorable moments—Japan’s maiden win in 2014, Denmark becoming the first non-Asian champion in 2016, and Indonesia ending a 19-year title drought in 2020 (held in 2021 due to the pandemic).
India created history in 2022 by winning their first-ever Thomas Cup title, defeating Indonesia 3-0 in the final. This achievement made India only the sixth nation to lift the prestigious trophy. China later reclaimed the title in the most recent edition, defeating Indonesia 3-1 on home soil.
Quarterfinal Fixtures:
• China vs Malaysia
• Thailand vs Denmark
• France vs Japan
• India vs Chinese Taipei