KUALA LUMPUR – It will not be a walk in the park for the national men’s team as they face England and 2014 champions Japan in the Thomas Cup slated to be held in Bangkok, Thailand from May 8 to 15.
However, speaking to The Vibes, the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) secretary-general Datuk Kenny Goh is optimistic that the national squad could bring glory to Malaysia.
“Before the draw announcement, we have put Thomas Cup as our milestone for 2022. We hope the players will do well.
“No matter which country we are drawn with, we will give our best by coming up with a strategic plan involving a careful selection of players who will represent the country,” said Kenny.
The fourth country that has been drawn into Group D is New Zealand.
Meanwhile, the national women’s team will face an uphill task as they are drawn against badminton powerhouses Denmark and Thailand in the Uber Cup.
“I think our women shuttlers are the underdogs, but I’m confident they will give their best as they have been working hard in improving their performance (on the court) in previous tournaments,” he added.
The other country that is drawn into Group C is Egypt.
However, with only a month left, BAM has not announced the players who will be representing the country in the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup respectively.
“We still have time, a couple more weeks before the names submission deadline.
“At the moment, there are a few more tournaments taking place, which include the Orléans Masters in France and the Korea Open which begins next week.
“We want to see how our players perform and then decide the list,” Kenny added.
Based on the competition format the champions and runners-up of each group in the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup will advance into the quarterfinals.
Malaysia has been Thomas Cup champions on five occasions – 1949, 1952, 1955, 1967, and 1992. The last win saw the Sidek brothers, Cheah Soon Kit, Soo Beng Kiang, and Foo Kok Keong beat Indonesia 3-2 at the Stadium Negara.
Nevertheless, Malaysia has yet to win the Uber Cup since its inception in 1957.
The following are the complete draw results for the 2022 Thomas Cup and Uber Cup:
– The Vibes, April 1, 2022
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